


Heero Yuy and the Eye of Horus

by alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, M/M, Yaoi, fusion with Indiana Jones, nasty Treize
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-31
Updated: 2013-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 15:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 22,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14813831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist/pseuds/alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist
Summary: by Vinyl Koneko--





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).  
> \----------  
> \+ Comments: //Lyrics// and *emphasis* and 'thought' and [flashback], some may not be used in this fic...it's just a heads-up. And keep in mind that just because this is Indiana Jones Gundam Wing-a-mized, it's still in the late 1930s, but I got rid of the Nazis and pretty much all of WWII in general because, you know, Hitler and Treize as heads of power in the same fic might get messy. ::shrug::

*~**~*  
Mt. Fuji, Japan  
*~**~*  
  
World renown archaeologist Doctor Heero Yuy had been wrong when he thought his vacation to Japan would be relaxing. In retrospect he realized that he never should have mentioned it to Quatre, who upon hearing the news, got an eager light in his aquamarine eyes.  
  
"Since you'll be in the area," he said smoothly, ever the businessman, "I'm sure you won't mind picking something up for me."  
  
Heero should have known that picking something up for Quatre meant he had to go find it, first. The item itself was only a little over three hundred years old, but all it's value was upheld in the valor of its previous owner. The said previous owner was Miyamoto Musashi, a famed swordsman who remained undefeated in all of his sixty-one years of life. Ancient records made narrowing down the katana's possible locations much easier, but when logic concludes that the blade is _in_ Fuji-san, the more strenuous part of archaeology is still left to be done.  
  
So now Heero was steadily climbing his way inside the crater of Mount Fuji, not a hint of emotion showing on determined features even though he was mentally relieved that the volcano hadn't been active in over two hundred years. He looked up, squinting Prussian blue eyes in the sunlight to make out the shape of the helicopter that secured the rope he was hanging on. Trowa Barton gave him a thumbs-up from above.  
  
Trowa worked with Heero since the beginning, serving as more than a friend but also supplied any transportation that might be required and kept weaponry around in case OZ decided to come around and get credit for any of their finds.  
  
OZ was the only big problem with archaeology, those days, the organization using any means necessary to gain money, power, and to get their name all over the world. They were more interested in the rare finds that held a more religious sentiment, guaranteeing higher bids when they went to auction the item to museums and private collectors, who often already contributed high sums of money to their status.  
  
Finally reaching the inside of Fuji's crater, Heero jumped off the rope, signaling up to Trowa that he had made it. Reviewing his notebook, Heero saw that he was supposed to find a cave in the lip of the mouth, and that would lead him directly to the famed katana. Everything until then had been easy, it was the potential for traps that was difficult. Last thing Heero needed was to fall into a pit of magma.  
  
According to the notes from the legend, the entrance to the cave was between the teeth of the dragon. Looking around, the young archaeologist could not see anything that resembled a dragon, per se, but there were four jagged pillars of rock with a gap between each pair that vaguely resembled teeth.  
  
The space was cracked, resembling sloppy, handmade bricks all caked together. Heero reached out cautiously to touch one, and it turned to powder under the slight pressure. More confident that the wall was not going to fall over and suffocate him, Heero began to scoop out bigger and bigger gobs of dirt, which, he soon came to realize, was not dirt but volcanic ash. When he finally managed to carve out a space large enough to get through, Heero grabbed for the flashlight on his belt and carefully went forward.  
  
There were no forms of life anywhere inside the cave-like dwelling. It was too cold this high up for anything to want to make the journey, so it was barren, Heero being the only presence to inhabit the space in hundreds of years. A glint of metal out of the corner of his eye caught Heero's attention, and there it was, Miyamoto Musashi's katana. He carefully crept his way to where the blade was resting, knowing well from experience that once the treasure was in sight were the traps more abundant. His hand rested on the hilt, pausing to see if arrows would come flying out of the walls to go right through him, but nothing happened. There was just silence.  
  
Heero smirked smugly to himself. "Well, that was easy enough," he said, strapping the sword to his back. A slight trembling in the room caught his attention, and he barely had enough time to grab the bullwhip at his hip and snap it to a nearby rock when the entire room collapsed around him, sending volcanic dust in all directions, leaving Heero hanging in a void of dust.  
  
He had to hold his breath, the ash affecting his breathing and making him cough heavily. Heero heard a roaring in his ears and thought he was going to pass out from a lack of oxygen when he felt himself being pulled up. Heero opened his eyes in time to see Mount Fuji getting smaller and smaller in the distance.  
  
"You all right?" Trowa said from the cockpit, speaking just loud enough for Heero to hear him over the helicopter's engine.  
  
"Yeah," Heero replied casually, as if nothing had happened. He unstrapped the katana from his back, placing it on the seat beside him. "Although Quatre owes me _big_ time for cutting into the time I was supposed to spent relaxing."  
  
Trowa just laughed as they headed back to the United States, Heero joining him in the co-pilot's seat.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
New York, USA  
*~**~*  
  
Quatre Raberba Winner stood just inside the packed lecture hall, watching his friend explain carbon dating to the assembled students, the majority of which were female who seemed to be paying more attention to Heero than to the lesson. The blond man couldn't help but smile. One of the girls in the front was asking a question that related more to Heero's personal life than archaeology. The bell signaling the end of the day rang, and Quatre found that it would be safer for him to move _away_ from the door than face the horde of students.  
  
When the room finally cleared, Quatre noticed Heero leaning against the chalkboard, massaging his temples and eyes closed. Quatre didn't know if he should make his presence known or not when Heero started. "I don't even know why I took this job." He opened his eyes. "It wasn't as bad until the Darlian girl got placed in the class. She asks me questions that are none of her business and professes her unending love for me in essays on Pompeii."  
  
"It can't be that bad."  
  
Heero just responded with a look that dared the other man to challenge him.  
  
Quatre straightened his tie, signaling that he was getting down to business. "As charming of a campus Barnett College is, I think we should talk someplace else."  
  
They walked off the schoolgrounds, chatting amiably about friends and life in general, avoiding the subject that Quatre wanted to speak about in a more secluded location, which turned out to be the library just down the street. Upon finding a private enough area, they sat at one of the round tables, Quatre clasping his hands.  
  
"I received a telegram from Wufei this morning. He got a little inside information on OZ's next big hit and, as he claims, sent enough to me to pique your curiosity on the matter."  
  
Heero leaned closer, listening intently to absorb everything that would be said.  
  
The blond man cleared his throat before continuing. "Wufei called it the Eye of Horus. It's a scepter claimed by the ancient Egyptians to wield the power of the sun god, more precisely in the form of revenge. OZ thought they had a lead, but it turned out to be a dead end because they're missing a piece of the puzzle, but they don't know _what_ the missing piece is. It could be a key or a map, but they aren't certain. Wufei checked up on his Egyptian mythology, and it said that whoever holds the jade scarab holds the key to the power of Ra."   
  
Quatre leaned more towards Heero, lowering his voice to a barely audible whisper. "The problem is, not even Egyptian texts verify what, or maybe even who, the jade scarab is." He leaned back again. "That's all I know."  
  
Heero sat back, seeming to digest the information. "OZ is seeking the power to control life on Earth."  
  
Quatre nodded grimly.  
  
"Who is in charge of their search?"  
  
Aquamarine eyes glistened with sarcasm, "Your dear friend Doctor Zechs Marquise. I wouldn't be surprised if Treize Khushrenada himself is following Marquise's every move."  
  
"Do you know where they are?"  
  
"I got a report from Rashiid affirming their station in Cairo. If I had a guess, I'd say they're going through the recorded hieroglyphs and seeing if the scepter is mentioned there."  
  
Heero stood up, hands in his pockets and gazing out the window. "Trowa won't be happy to hear we have to leave again."  
  
Quatre smirked, moving to stand beside his friend. "Trowa doesn't care. He sticks around here for too long and starts getting fussy about me. He thinks I work too hard."  
  
The Japanese man blinked, disbelieving. "You work too hard? Was he _awake_ on the last few _trips_ you sent us on?"  
  
The blond smiled. "That's just Trowa. Thinking about others before himself."  
  
"No, you mean thinking of _you_ before himself."  
  
Quatre's smile didn't fade as he steered the conversation back on track. "So are you interested or not?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm interested. I might have a lead, too."  
  
"Really? What?"  
  
Heero shook his head, "Not what, but who. His name's Duo Maxwell, a...friend of mine. Collects mythology and spent some time in Egypt a couple years ago. Spending time in Australia, off the Great Barrier Reef, last I heard."  
  
Quatre was unsure with Heero's hesitation in calling Duo a friend. "Are you sure he'll help?"  
  
Heero shrugged. "It's been several years. Time heals all wounds, right?" he added wryly.  
  
"I guess it depends on the circumstances. What happened?"  
  
Heero deep blue eyes narrowed, face taking on an expression of awkwardness of vocalizing the event and regret from what had transpired. "We were sort of seeing each other, but with me traveling all the time, it got difficult to stay in touch. I got to visit the Greek temples from the days when Zeus was the supreme god, and I couldn't let Duo miss out on the opportunity.  
  
"We got closer over the trip. Duo told me that he loved me, but I got a message that Dad was sick, so I had to return home. I told Duo to stay in Athens - I told him I'd return within the week, but I never did, and he went to Egypt. Haven't spoken to him since."  
  
Quatre didn't know how to respond appropriately. "So...do you think he'll help or not?" Heero just glared in response. "I mean, it's not like he's helping you personally, just the fate of the entire world, if myth serves correctly, so things should work out all right.  
  
Heero scowled. "You can only be optimistic because it's not your ass."  
  
"True," the blond man beamed, "but you're never optimistic anyway. Now, let's go get Trowa. You might want to pack first, but it's important that you leave as soon as possible. OZ might already have a leg-up on us, and they have better chances of finding the scepter with the more time we give them."


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Cairo, Egypt  
*~**~*  
  
Tall, blond, and regal, Zechs Marquise strode through the Egyptian marketplace, trying his hardest to remain inconspicuous but failing miserably since the majority of the local population bore darker complexions and weren't quite as tall. He didn't even know why he bothered to take precautions against being recognized. Yuy would catch on to what he was doing sooner or later, and Zechs preferred the competition the other archaeologist provided.  
  
It was only six in the morning, so the ferocious heat of the desert sun didn't come to full force for another several hours. It was morning and dusk when he preferred to be out at the digsites, spending the muggy afternoons in the cool bellies of the pyramids, reading ancient hieroglyphs that could hold knowledge of the scepter's whereabouts. A feeling deep inside told Zechs that he wouldn't find any recorded information on the Eye, but some hope kept him driving forward. Afterall, if information on the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail had been uncovered, surely there was _something_ on the Eye of Horus.  
  
Zechs removed the white, wide-brimmed hat from his head, wiping the sweat from his forehead on the sleeve of his shirt. The day ahead was going to be a scorcher, already in the mid-eighties with a disturbingly high humidity level and no promise of rain. He pulled his hair up into a ponytail, hoping to cool off the back of his neck, which is did, but it was still oppressively hot out.  
  
Movement pulled Zechs's attention to the tent ten meters off to his right. Treize Khushrenada stood, silhouetted against the rising sun. He looked cool. The General always seemed to look cool, sapphire eyes holding strategic knowledge as well as a calm that rivalled even Yuy's.  
  
"Good morning, General Khushrenada."  
  
The older man focused his attention on the archaeologist. "Zechs, how many times must I tell you, call me Treize. We've been working together long enough to drop the formalities."  
  
Zechs nodded his head slightly in a bow. "Yes, Ge-...Treize."  
  
The copper-haired man seemed satisfied. "How is the excavation doing this morning?"  
  
"If the teams knew that they were doing a blind excavation, I am sure they would have mutinied by now, but as far as they can tell, we know exactly where we are supposed to be digging."  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"We should allow them more access to water. They might start some trouble if peers start dying from the heat."  
  
Treize seemed to consider this, tapping his cheek with an index finger. "Whatever it takes to keep them congenial."  
  
The two men continued walking along the way towards the digsite, leaving the city grounds in a jeep to cross the windswept sand that was a constant presence in Northern Africa. Treize had the driver stop the vehicle at the top of a dune, allowing Zechs and Treize to overlook the excavation.  
  
They had started with five hundred locals, volunteering out of desperation for money, but as word got out that there was cheap labor needed, more and more people seemed to come out of the desert itself. Zechs had long ago lost track of how many workers were going through the sand around the pyramids, digging up ancient burial sites of slaves that were buried by their pharaoh. Men did the digging, women brought the water, and children ran messages between the supervisors. Watching the entire scene from a viewpoint, Zechs was reminded of images in his Egyptology textbooks, slaves swarming to finish the city and tomb for the pharaoh who wanted to be remembered as a great man through an even greater monument.  
  
"Isn't this unethical?" Zechs tried to keep the disgust out of his voice.  
  
"Maybe to your ethics, but not to mine. They all volunteered for this work, and if their country cared they would have been employed in the first place." Treize motioned for the driver to continue forward to the site. "Besides, it's only temporary, and families are being fed."  
  
The rest of the ride was in silence. Zechs caught the gaze of a child, barely seven and hardly more than skin and bones, looking with fear and sorrow at everyone around him before the supervisor's hand hit him across the face, causing the young boy to go hurdling to the ground.  
  
"They asked for this," Treize said, keeping his gaze forward at the top of the pyramids.  
  
"General...General!" A soldier ran next to the jeep, hitting the door to get the driver to stop. Treize looked at the man questioningly, silently telling him to say what was so urgent. "General, the Maganac Corp knows we're here, so Doctor Yuy should be notified of our activities shortly."  
  
"Very good," Treize said, climbing out of the jeep. The soldier saluted sharply and went back to his duty.  
  
Zechs hurried after his superior. "Why did you let the information leak?"  
  
Treize gave a look that seemed to say are-you-really-that-stupid. "It's a little hard to keep our operation a secret, so he was going to find out sooner or later. Besides, he might know something that we don't, and we will be able to take that information from him. Understand?" The General walked towards the main camp without waiting for an answer.  
  
"Yes, sir," Zechs muttered dryly, a stern gaze fixed on his superior's back.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Sydney, Australia  
*~**~*  
  
Duo Maxwell was sitting on the veranda of an open-air café - drinking an iced coffee and watching the Pacific Ocean roll in and out, controlled by the moon - when he saw the uniformed OZ officer stepping out of a cab onto the street, two more following right behind him. They were pointing around wildly, but whether they were lost or looking for something, Duo couldn't tell. The black-haired one seemed angry, trying to shame the blond and brown-haired officers, but the other two men remained aloof, uncaring.  
  
OZ had no hold in Australia, unlike the almost overwhelming amount of posts in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Strategically, the country did not seem that significant. The arrival of the small party in Sydney made Duo nervous. He knew more information would be necessary to come to any conclusions, so Duo drew mentally drew up a plan.  
  
He stood casually, leaving enough money on the table to cover the drink and a tip. Duo put on his sunglasses and made his way over to the officers.  
  
"G'day, mates. What can I do ya for?" Duo faked an Australian accent with a cheeky grin.  
  
The lieutenant in charge stood a good few inches taller than Duo. Lieutenant Trant, as the pin on the officer's breast read, was sneering down his nose at the other man. "We're looking for someone who's coming from New York. You probably don't know him."  
  
"Ain't no harm in tryin'." Duo frowned. He most likely _didn't_ know the person, but it might give him an idea on why OZ was here to begin with, and if they were going to stay for long.  
  
"He's an archaeologist," the brown-haired officer, Muller, supplied the answer for Trant. "His name's Heero Yuy."  
  
'Heero Yuy...' Duo felt his mouth go dry and the blood drain from his face. "Well, ah...good luck to ya, mates. I'll prolly see ya'll 'round." Duo turned around, planning to make a beeline back to the room his was waiting when he felt a grasp on his shoulder.  
  
"Wait a minute. You seem familiar."   
  
Duo glanced behind him, glaring at the blond man's hand on his shoulder. He looked at the man's face and was all of a sudden overwhelmed with a wave of déjà vu. 'Dammit.' "Well, heh, whaddya know? Nice to see you again, Alex... If you'll excuse me, I have a busy schedule, so I, ah, got to go." Duo spun out of the other man's grip, but was jerked back sharply with a sharp tug at his braid.  
  
He knew who Alex was. The blond man had run into him before and knew enough about Duo to know that no matter how educated the longhaired man was, he was a sign of trouble. Their previous encounter was in Spain, Duo studying the architecture of Spanish castles when OZ came in and decided to claim Galicia and the surrounding land as their own. Duo got hundreds of unhappy Spaniards to band together, ending up destroying OZ's homebase in Spain by planting dynamite and very angry bulls in key locations. Alex had been in charge, and Duo made his face no secret to the blond man, gloating in the victory as the remaining OZ officers that were based in Galicia left through the ships that hadn't been destroyed, slipping off back into the Mediterranean.  
  
From what Duo heard, Khushrenada had been so angry at the loss of face and land that Alex lost all rank, barely avoiding death at the hands of the general's wrath.  
  
Duo could feel the officer's breath in his ear. "Tú estás la peste pequeño que destruyó la base militar de OZ en España."  
  
"Sí, señor, tú me agarró allí."[1]  
  
Before the OZ soldiers could tell what was going to happen, Duo hooked his right leg behind Alex's knees, tripping the man and bringing him to the ground. The collision with the firm earth caused Alex to see stars, dazed long enough for Duo to grab his pistol, keeping it trained on the three men. "Don't try anything funny, or I will be forced to shoot you."  
  
Of course, as human psychology goes, the command to _not_ do anything brings about the action recommended against, so Muller went for the gun at his hip. Duo registered the motion and snapped off a couple of shots, one to Muller's right hand and the other to his heart. The officer fell to the ground, dead. The whole scene gathered a crowd of people, causing enough distraction for Alex to get back to his feet and Trant to have his gun trained on Duo's head.  
  
Duo smiled broadly, knowing it would set the two men on edge. "Welcome to Australia, mates." Duo threw himself to the ground, knowing that any sudden movements would cause Trant to fire his weapon. With Duo suddenly on the ground, the only thing in the path of the bullet was Alex, who had been standing a few meters behind the longhaired man. Alex fell to his knees, fingering the wound on his chest and looking at his superior in surprise before falling over dead. Duo fired Alex's pistol once more, hitting the lieutenant square between the eyes.  
  
Duo tossed the gun back to Alex's body, nodding briefly at the crowd before continuing to the hotel he was staying at. No one called the police, and no one followed him. It seemed to be a unanimous agreement that three less OZ soldiers in the world was beneficial to everyone.  
  
He climbed the stairs to his room quickly, digging the key out of his pocket as he took the steps two at a time. He could have taken the elevator, but the small, enclosed space and the creaky cage made him fidgety. When he reached the door to his room, he wasn't surprised to see that it was already unlocked. Duo opened the door quickly, violet eyes meeting deep blue.  
  
"Nice of you to drop by, Heero," Duo said cynically. "You missed on hell of a time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Any *real* Aussies, forgive my attempts. Australian accent just wasn't something I could pull of the top of my head at the moment, and I didn't feel like putting Crocodile Dundee in the VCR. ^_~
> 
> [1] "You are the little pest that destroyed OZ's military base in Spain." "Yes, sir, you caught me there."


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Sydney, Australia   
*~**~*  
  
The first things Heero noticed about Duo were his stunning amethyst eyes, tinted with irritation and what seemed to be peevishness, but despite Duo's unpleasant attitude - which Heero was more than willing to take responsibility for - Heero's former lover was still as beautiful as the Japanese-American remembered.  
  
This realization, of course, nudged his planned train of thought into areas Heero didn't even want to consider. 'If I could just touch him once more, maybe that would be enough...'  
  
'You got to be kidding, Yuy. What are you going to say? "I know it's been five years, but that bed is looking _really_ nice right now, so what do you say me and you see how much stress that baby can take?" I don't think it works that way. He's probably seeing someone else, Yuy. Very attractive and very available lead to other relationships, not sitting around and pining away for your sorry ass.'  
  
Heero shook away his nagging conscience, trying to focus on the matter at hand, which happened to be a very stern looking Duo trying to figure out why he was still standing in the doorway and not kicking Heero out on his own. "Something's come up. OZ is onto something big."  
  
Duo snorted. "Could that explain why they had a whole _three_ officers follow you here?"  
  
Heero's attention snapped to Duo as the longhaired American crossed the room to look out over the balcony at the surrounding city. "How would you know if I had been followed?"  
  
"I saw them over at the beach and got curious, so I asked if they were lost. They said they were looking for you. Then one of the guys recognized me from a little rebellion I took charge of in Spain, so I killed them before they decided to do anything with me." Duo turned from his view of the city, plopping down in one of the plush armchairs. "Besides, OZ will suspect you before they'll suspect me, which is great for me but sucks for you." The room was silent for a moment before Duo spoke again. "So what's this big thing OZ is after?"  
  
Heero smiled inwardly. Duo's curiosity and thirst for adventure seemed to temporary void any resentment he held towards Heero. "They're digging for the Eye of Horus. It's a-"  
  
"Scepter claimed to wield the wrath of the mighty Ra. Heero, I collect mythology, could you give me _some_ credit that I might know something for once?"  
  
"Sorry," Heero mumbled guiltily, staring down at his hands folded in his lap. "I'm sorry for a lot of what I put you through."   
  
Heero thought he saw the pull of a smile gracing Duo's features, but it seemed to vanish as quickly as it appeared. "Yeah, well, that's not the point. You obviously came because you think you need my help, although the great Doctor Heero Yuy _never_ needs anyone's help with his superior knowledge and intellect, but I'm needed just the same." Heero let the rant go, figuring he deserved it and much more. "So, what do you want?"  
  
"A contact of mine told me that the key to the power of Ra lies in the jade scarab. Would you know anything about that?"  
  
Duo rubbed his chin in thought. "Nope. Never heard about that," he said, almost a little too quickly for Heero's liking. He tried to make eye contact, but Duo refused to look his way.  
  
"You're lying."  
  
Duo's expression could only be described as flabbergasted. "E-excuse me?"  
  
"I can tell. You always were a bad liar."  
  
"You leave me in _Greece_ after I told you I loved you, and now, five years later, you break into my hotel room in Australia, hoping I will help you, only to accuse me of _lying_." If looks could kill, Heero was sure the one Duo was giving him would cause Heero to burst into flames. 'And they say my glare is lethal.' "I don't see where you think you can get off, Yuy."  
  
Heero stood up and slowly approached Duo, surprised that he had been able to restrain himself from creating an even bigger argument. He knew Duo was venting, and he knew that after all this time Duo needed it, but the other man _did_ still lie about any knowledge he might have on the jade scarab. Heero cupped Duo's face in both of his hands, feeling Duo's pulse pound against the carotid artery beneath Heero's thumb.  
  
"Duo," Heero said as evenly as possible with Duo's lips mere inches from his own, "what do you know about the jade scarab?"  
  
"It's about the size of a walnut," Duo said softly, his gaze never leaving Heero's. "And it's made purely of jade, not a single impurity in the stone. It was said to be well hidden in the original shrine for Ra. He had it made to protect the Eye and keep it hidden throughout the lifespan of the world, but holding the jade scarab is not enough, because a piece was removed from it...the piece that brings life to the scarab itself."  
  
"What's the missing piece?"  
  
Duo bit his bottom lip before continuing. "It's an ankh made of solid gold, and based on images in the shrine, the ankh should only be about a centimeter long, but not even the Egyptians recorded what happened to that key piece." The corner of his mouth twitched. "You see, after Greece I went to Egypt, and the mystery was lying there in the sand waiting for me to figure out what happened to that ankh. I got so wrapped up in the whole thing that it was affecting my health, mentally and physically, so I came here to recuperate for a while."  
  
"Do you know where the scarab is?"  
  
Duo nodded. "I have an idea. I suppose you want me to leave with you?"  
  
"Trowa's waiting at the airport with the plane."  
  
"Trowa _still_ lets you drag him around?"  
  
"As long as I pay him, he does."  
  
Duo backed out of Heero's hold, grinning nostalgically as he started to pack his belongings. "Is he seeing anyone or still too shy?"  
  
"Yes," the archaeologist responded, anticipating Duo's next questions. "His name is Quatre, you would like him because he feeds his guests very well and would pay money for your brain."  
  
"Well, that's nice for Trowa. I'm happy for him."   
  
Heero was mentally interrogating himself as to whether it was his place to ask about Duo's own personal life since their, for a lack of better a better term, falling apart. Heero watched as Duo changed his shirt, noting how the time the other man spent exposed to the sun tanned his skin to a nice light bronze that complimented the shimmering highlights in Duo's chestnut mass of hair. Something hanging off a leather strip around Duo's neck caught Heero's attention, bringing his gaze to just above Duo's sternum.  
  
It was a jade scarab.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*   
En route from Australia to China  
*~**~*  
  
Trowa Barton basked in the silence of the small aircraft. The flight from Sydney, Australia to Beijing, China was long, the only things to see out of the viewports being the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea, which all just looked like the same, vast body of water when you got right down to it. Things were relatively quiet, Duo having fallen asleep in the bench behind the co-pilot's seat, snoring softly every now and then, but not enough to be irritating. Heero seemed lost in his own little world, studying his notes from time to time, Prussian blue eyes peering out from under the brim of the ever-present fedora to check engine readouts and the altimeter in between turning the pages of the battered, leatherbound notebook.  
  
The green-eyed man knew Heero was feeling uneasy. It was almost palpable. They usually had a little more in the means of conversation mid-flight, usually his Japanese friend thinking outloud with some commentary from Trowa whenever he felt he could intercede, but at the moment, there wasn't even that. Trowa knew Heero wasn't just respecting the fact that Duo was resting. If the longhaired man could sleep through the sound of the engines roaring and propellers spinning right outside, a few exchanged words wouldn't be noticed at all.  
  
Even though it wasn't that, Trowa knew it still involved Duo in some way. He was aware that the two had broken off connections anything but positively. Trowa didn't know what sort of behavior to anticipate on the behalf of either party. All Trowa really knew of Duo was a good humor and a constant drive for excitement. How those traits affected Heero, Trowa couldn't beging to imagine. They had made quite the couple.  
  
"Chang should know something about the missing piece of the scarab," Heero's gaze was still staring blankly to the horizon. "Whether it's in their recorded history or not, Wufei will have something...possibly from another empire."  
  
Trowa glanced over to his friend, curious as to where Heero was going with the thought. "You mean the Romans?"  
  
Heero nodded. "More likely than not. If the ankh was made in Egypt, there would have been some documentation from both sides, the craftsman and whoever made the purchase, but Duo said the Egyptians didn't even know about it, which means the buyer's papers were destroyed, and the craftsman was from elsewhere. The Roman Empire is the most likely seeing as how the two dealt with each other frequently enough."  
  
"But the Roman Empire was so _big_ *. Finding a specific trade would be next to impossible."  
  
"If my instinct is correct, the head priest at Ra's shrine will have requested the item to be made, it would have been a high priority item since the shrines were rich. Wufei has access to a database in Venice. He can get the requests in and get the information in a matter of a couple hours."  
  
Trowa didn't respond. He felt no need to. Heero was always so certain, and Trowa had never seen his friend's instinct fail him. Of course, there was always a first time for everything, but still...Heero seemed so certain. If that particular path ran into a dead end, they'd just need to start over again. They had the jade scarab safe and sound, so OZ would be chasing their tails around the pyraminds of Giza until they died. Worst case scenario, OZ would find the ankh and there would be a mutual stalemate unless some sort of agreement could be come to.  
  
'Duo could decide he's still holding a grudge against Heero and sell the scarab to OZ, but from the sound of his shared opinions on Khushrenada's organization, that's unlikely to happen.'  
  
A dark strip of land in the distance broke the monotony of the sea, and as the small aircraft continued Northwest, the strip started to take up more and more of their vision, expanding into the country of China.   
  
Trowa was worried that OZ might have anticipated them going to Beijing, but he couldn't detect any of OZ's naval fleet in formation to shoot them down.  
  
'Archaeology was no where near this competitive before Khushrenada saw it as a get-rich-quick sceme for OZ, and as long as they have Zechs Marquise under their control, they have a chance of doing just that. Marquise is good, I'll give him that, but he thinks with his bank account and not his heart. It's a shame to see his talent just wasted.'   
  
Trowa navigated the plane more to the West so they would slightly overshoot the capital. He wasn't sure how safe the closest airport would be in keeping their presence a secret from OZ, so the landing strip near the Chang's home would have to do. It wasn't the best kept, and landing in the nearly waist-high grasses proved difficult, but better grass than OZ soldiers. This particular plane was unarmed.  
  
He heard an exaggerated yawn and the pop of stiff joints behind him, notifying Duo's arrival back to the land of the conscious. Trowa carefully reduced speed and altitude, lowering the craft to the runway as smoothly as possible.  
  
"Sure this guy will be able to help?" Duo seemed doubtful. Trowa mentally noticed how the question was asked generally instead of to Heero specifically.  
  
"Wufei's very thorough. If he doesn't know the details, he'll find someone that does." Heero climbed out of the cockpit into the belly of the plane, sliding open the door and jumping out the second Trowa stopped motoring. The emerald-eyed pilot shut of the engine, motioning for Duo to follow Heero's lead.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Beijing, China  
*~**~*  
  
Wufei Chang went through his texts, bookmarking anything that could have any relation to the Eye of Horus or the jade scarab. Easier said that done, the books on Egyptian-specific texts weren't difficult to locate, but then skimming through stacks and stacks of information nearly made his head spin. Luckily, Wufei's wife, Sally, and his five-year-old daughter, Mei-Lan[1], were more than eager to help. He decided to leave the books out instead of putting the unnecessary ones away, sensing that Heero would come prepared with sources of his own.  
  
It wasn't too long before the Changs heard the plane motoring through the plain outside, knocking over the tall grasses, leaving a streak of bent foliage in its wake. Heero Yuy, a young man Wufei didn't recognize, and Trowa Barton steadily made their way to the house, the braided one seeming to trail behind a little, absorbing every detail of his surroundings.  
  
Wufei pushed his glasses back up on his nose, grinning slightly as his two comrades. "Yuy, Barton...nice to see that OZ hasn't succeeded in killing you yet."  
  
Heero met Wufei's expression with a smirk of his own. "They haven't been trying hard enough."  
  
The quip caused Wufei to chuckle slightly. "I'm sure the two of you have been raising OZ hell." The Chinese young man caught the stranger shifting uncomfortably. "I don't believe we've met before."  
  
The other extended his hand, surprising Wufei with a firm handshake. "Duo Maxwell. You might have heard of me."  
  
"I have, actually. You're a private collector of mythology. Possibly you'd be interested in looking at my collection?"  
  
Duo smiled brightly. "I'd enjoy that."  
  
"Good. We should get inside before Sally has our heads about being late to dinner."  
  
When they got to the dining area, Wufei's wife was bringing food to the table, followed by Mei-Lan who was carefully handling the tea kettle and cups. Introductions were once more made, for Duo's sake, before sitting down to eat. The meal was simple, yet delicious just the same. Almost immediately upon hearing that Duo collected mythology, Mei-Lan's interest was gained, the young girl seizing the opportunity as a chance for a story. "Can you tell us one, Duo?" she pleaded, pouting her lower lip and batting eyelashes.  
  
Wufei was about to scold his daughter for being rude to a guest when Duo smiled. "Sure. Do you know the Greek myth about Apollo and Hyakinthos?" Mei-Lan shook her head. "Well, it goes something like this...  
  
"Hyakinthos, the young son of a king and as beautiful as the very gods of Mount Olympus, was in love with Apollo, the god of the sun and medicine. Apollo often came down to the shores of the Eurotas River in Sparta to spend time with his young friend and enjoy each other's company. Tired of music and his long bow, Apollo found relief in pastimes near his lover's house. Together they would go hunting through the woods and glades on the mountain sides, or they would practice gymnastics, a skill for which the Spartans were renowned. The simple life awoke Apollo's appetites, which made Hyakinthos seem more charming than ever.  
  
"Once, in the heat of a summer afternoon, the lovers, naked, sleeked themselves with oil, and tried their hand at discus throwing, each trying as hard as possible to outdo the other. The bronze discus flew higher and higher. Finally, Apollo gathered all of his strength and spun, wheeled, and let fly the shiny disk, which rose swift as a bird, cutting the clouds in two. Then, glittering like a star, it began to tumble down.  
  
"Hyakinthos ran to meet it. He was hurrying to take his turn, to prove to Apollo that he, though just a young athlete, was no less able than the god at this sport. The discus landed, but having fallen from such a great height it bounced and violently struck Hyakinthos in the head. He let out a groan and crumpled to the ground. Blood spurted thickly from his wound, coloring crimson the curly black hair of the handsome youth.  
  
"Horrified, Apollo raced over. He bent over Hyakinthos, raised him up, and rested the boy's head on his knees, trying desperately to stop the blood flowing from the wound. But it was all in vain. Hyakinthos grew paler and paler. His eyes, always so clear, lost their gleam and his head rolled to one side, just like a flower wilting under the rays of the afternoon sun."  
  
Wufei couldn't tell if he was seeing things or not, but at that point in the tale, it appeared that Duo was speaking directly to Heero.   
  
"Heartbroken, Apollo cried out: 'Death has taken you in his claws, beloved friend! Woe, for by my own hand you have died. And yet its crime was meeting yours at play. Was that a crime? Or was my love to blame - the guilt that follows love that loves too much? Oh, if only I could pay for my deed by joining you in your journey to the cheerless realms of the dead. Oh, why am I cursed to live forever? Why can't I follow you?'  
  
"Apollo held his dying friend close to his breast, and his tears fell in a stream onto the boy's bloody hair. Hyakinthos died, and his soul flew to the kingdom of Hades. Apollo bent close to the dead boy's ear, and softly whispered: 'In my heart you will live forever, beautiful Hyakinthos. May your memory live always among men as well.' At the word from Apollo, a fragrant red flower rose from Hyakinthos's blood. We call it a hyacinth, and on its petals, you can still read the letters 'Ay,' the sigh of pain that rose from Apollo's breast."[2]  
  
Pushing his chair aside and standing slowly, Duo motioned to the hallway leading away from the room. "If you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to." Without another word, he left the room.  
  
Wufei caught Sally's questioning gaze out of the corner of his eye. He just shrugged in response, taking a sip of his tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Let me explain... In Japanese, there is no "L" sound, and the closest thing to it is the "R". Now I have no idea if Meiran is only spelled that way because that's what her name is, or if the intention was Meilan and there was a translation goof. To avoid any confusion, I'm taking my own creative liberties with the name. Appearance-wise, think Mei from "Tonari no Totoro" only with blue eyes like Sally.  
> [2] SOURCE: The World History of Male Love


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Beijing, China  
*~**~*  
  
Duo didn't know what had gotten into him. 'Why did I pick _that_ myth? There are plenty of others that are much more entertaining that I know, but I picked the myth about Apollo and his lover.' Not having much of an option in places to go and think, Duo heaved himself onto the port wing of the aircraft, lying on his back and watching the sky contemplatively.  
  
_[ "Heartbroken, Apollo cried out: 'Death has taken you in his claws, beloved friend! Woe, for by my own hand you have died. And yet its crime was meeting yours at play. Was that a crime? Or was my love to blame - the guilt that follows love that loves too much? Oh, if only I could pay for my deed by joining you in your journey to the cheerless realms of the dead. Oh, why am I cursed to live forever? Why can't I follow you?'" ]_  
  
In realization, the braided man let out a strangled sob, but quickly put his hands over his mouth before it could escape to be carried off into the night. 'It's been five years, Maxwell, why the hell does this still bother you?'  
  
'Because the feelings haven't changed,' Duo answered his own mental interrogation. 'Because if I hadn't been so angry at him I could have forgotten the entire thing and it would feel like it was just yesterday when we were together in Athens.'  
  
Duo heard the door of the Changs home open and slam shut again. Whoever it was, Duo wasn't in the mood to have company. He moved to slide off the wing and try to blend in with the shadows when he heard booted footsteps behind him. Reflexes kicking in, Duo rolled aside and, in the same motion, grabbed the knife hidden inside his right boot, swinging around into a defensive stance. The response of his possible attacker was anything but threatening. Duo was being laughed at.  
  
The longhaired man slid the blade back into its protective sheath, grateful for the darkness of the night hiding the blush that Duo was certain was gracing his complexion. He hated being laughed at. He hated it even more considering that the person doing the laughing was none other than Doctor Heero Yuy himself.  
  
Duo's face bore a sour expression. "Are you done?"  
  
Heero nodded, obviously straining in effort to keep from looking amused. It took a few seconds, but he managed to school his features into a less mocking expression. Faced with Duo's obviously foul disposition, Heero looked more unguarded and open. "You're angry with me."  
  
Indigo eyes widened in disbelief. "Shit, Heero, nice to know you earned that doctorate with your keen observation skills. I realized you don't even _need_ my help! Don't deny it, either. You need the jade scarab to get to the Eye, but without the ankh the scarab is useless, and without the scarab the ankh is useless, so even if OZ _does_ get a lead, they still don't have the scarab, and from what I've heard, it might be best to leave the Eye where it can't hurt anybody."  
  
Heero's Prussian blue gaze was focused so intently on Duo that the longhaired man felt as if he was about to cave under the pressure. "That's not why you're angry. You're still stuck in Greece."  
  
Duo's eyes narrowed. "You told me you'd return." His voice was lowered to a harsh whisper. He barely registered how with each passing second, Heero was moving closer and closer.  
  
"I'm returning now." Heero grasped Duo's hand in his own, planting a kiss inside the other man's palm. Duo felt his knees go watery. "I missed you, Duo."  
  
That was when Duo's knees gave out under him, causing him to collapse back down onto the wing of the plane. He didn't know how to react. His mind wanted to be angry, his heart wanted to love. Duo looked over at Heero, who was crouching down in front of him, their hands still twined between them.  
  
"Damn it, Heero," Duo whispered wryly, "I hate what you do to me."  
  
Duo hesitated long enough to catch the look of confusion and trepidation that crossed Heero's face before throwing himself into the other man's embrace, relief flooding over him when Heero began to return the kiss, both young men exploring the warm, moist caverns of each other's mouths, a once familiar world that they both thought had been lost to them forever. Duo felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the moment as the heat filled him from head to toe, creating a sense of ecstasy that hadn't been felt in five years. It had been too long.  
  
A burning desire for oxygen forced to two apart, flushed, gasping, and clinging to one another as if letting go would mean accepting that the transpired events could have been a dream. Duo could hear the door to the house open and shut once again, but he couldn't force himself to tear his gaze away from Heero's to see who was looking for them.  
  
"Mama said your rooms are ready for the night, so you can put your stuff in them, and Papa said that you can wait and look at his books tomorrow if you're sleepy from the plane ride!" Mei-Lan was standing next to one of the landing gear, smiling widely and occasionally whistling through a gap caused by a missing tooth. Duo couldn't help but smile when he noticed that the small girl was wearing Heero's fedora. "Papa _also_ said that if I'm good I'll get to hear another story. Is that the truth?"  
  
"I can tell you as many stories as you want, Mei-Lan." Duo felt as if the mood had been ruined.  
  
"Tell your Papa we'll be there in a minute," Heero said.  
  
"Okay!" Mei-Lan enthusiastically ran back inside the house, the door slamming in her wake.  
  
"I suppose you have to go play archaeologist, now," the longhaired man sighed.  
  
"That's why we're here." Heero stood, stretching briefly, planting an apologetic kiss on Duo's forehead. "Come on, we have an ankh to find."


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Cairo, Egypt  
*~**~*  
  
Despite the fact that the heavy canvas tent did a good job protecting General Khushrenada from the intense rays of the sun, the heat of the day was not evaded altogether. Treize was sipping a glass of ice water and reading current reports from his officer when Doctor Marquise came barging in, looking more excited than he had in weeks.  
  
"Treize, we've stumbled upon something that might interest you."  
  
The general arched an elegant eyebrow in interest. "Involving the Eye?"  
  
"Yes. It's remarkable how we bypassed this countless times before only to brush it off, but once we translated the hieroglyphs next to the image, we saw that it was clearly a lead."  
  
Treize stood up, straightening his uniform. "Show me."  
  
They walked out over the sand dunes and into a small, boxy building that had been dug up decades ago by a wandering explorer. The room had actually been a shrine of some sort, a highly sanctified one in which only the pharaoh himself and the high priests could enter. The interior walls were vastly decorated with intricate murals, each which told a story. On the farthest wall from the entrance, there was a simpler image of a scarab with an ankh dangling from its back. The scarab and ankh were silhouetted against an image of the sun, with hieroglyphs beside the picture.  
  
"The text reads, 'Whoever holds the jade scarab holds the key to the power of Ra.'"  
  
Treize looked around the room as if he were searching for something but unable to find it. "Well, then, where is it?"  
  
Zechs was too pleased with the discovery of the mural to catch his short-sightedness. "Where's what?"  
  
"The jade scarab," the general replied evenly, knowing that losing his temper in the heat would not be the wisest thing to do.  
  
"Ah," the blond man cleared his throat, "we haven't figured that part out yet, but it would appear that..."  
  
Treize toned out whatever excuse he was being fed. One part of the image was sticking out, literally, from the wall. From a distance it appeared to be a piece of the scarab's shell, but when looked at closer, one could tell that it was a shape of a wadjet eye actually protruding from the wall. Treize blew at the shape to get some of the sand cleared away, only to notice cracks tracing the edges. He reached out cautiously, not knowing if it were a trap or not, and applied a small amount of pressure to the eye. It got pulled into the wall until it was flush with the surface, and then a light click was heard followed by a rumbling that seemed to be coming from under the floor. Marquise was stunned speechless at Treize's little discovery and seemed to be unsure as to whether or not he should flee or stand around and watch.  
  
The rumbling opened up a hole in the middle of the room that couldn't have been any more than a square foot. Out of the hole was rising a pedestal with a preserved wooden box resting on the top. The column stopped rising when it reached five feet in height, all motion stopping altogether, and both men seemed unsure as to whether it would be safe or not for them to proceed. Treize stepped aside and let Zechs take over. He wasn't the archaeologist and wasn't sure if a certain process should be followed or not, and watching made him feel a little safer in case they stumbled upon a trap the Egyptians made to prevent anybody from learning the secret of the Eye.  
  
Zechs opened the lid on the box easily, surprised that the lock was already opened, a simple lockpick still lying in the keyhole. Someone had already been to the shrine and discovered whatever was in the box, but whether the other's discovery was accidental or intentional, Treize did not know. Zechs continued to open the box anyway, and Treize allowed himself to hope that whatever the box's original contents were still remained within. He didn't like the idea that anyone in the world could possess the key to finding the Eye of Horus.  
  
Treize moved to stand behind Zechs, his curiosity getting the better of him. When the box was open enough to view whatever may have been inside, the general wasn't surprised at how anti-climatic the whole situation was. The box was empty.  
  
Feeling miffed, Treize made as if he was going to leave the shrine. "The contents are long gone, now, and based on the inscription, there is no doubt in my mind that it *was* the scarab we need."  
  
"We could send a letter out to National Geographic and the major newsreels announcing that we are searching for the scarab...to see if anybody comes forward," Zechs was still staring at the box, eyes narrowed on the bottom surface. "Or maybe whoever took the item in question left something for us to find him by." Treize turned around to see the doctor prying a leather journal from the case. "I'll check the last entry."  
  
Treize waited patiently for Zechs to find the last page that had been written on. It took him towards the end of the journal, and the general felt almost relieved knowing that it couldn't have been Yuy that secured the scarab because he wouldn't have been so careless with his notes.  
  
"Oh, here it is. 'April 21, 1939 - My health isn't improving, mentally or physically, in the search for the answer of this mystery. I need to spend some time relaxing. Australia would be nice around this time of year. I don't know how long I'll take, but to guarantee my return, I will leave this journal hidden in the very place where I discovered the scarab years ago. No one else will be able to find it there. I must leave before I change my mind. Until I return, Duo Maxwell'." Zechs looked up at Treize. "Didn't you send some men to Australia?"  
  
"Yes...I told them to trail Yuy but local authorities told me they were shot and killed... Damn it! There is no way Yuy could have gotten that lead before us!"  
  
Zechs looked apprehensive in the face of his general's sudden rage. "Well, sir, we might have to accept that possibility that he does."


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Beijing, China  
*~**~*  
  
Trowa raised a questioning eyebrow when Heero and Duo entered Wufei's study, trying to look purposeful but seeming distracted. Just by Heero's body language could Trowa tell that things went well. A weight seemed to have been lifted from his friend's shoulders. Mei-Lan bombarded in after them, leaping into the chair behind her father's desk while the other four young men sat more comfortably on the sofa and chairs surrounding a low table stacked high with books on Egyptian lore and history.  
  
"I gave Quatre the summary. If you would like any more information, I've dog-eared the books and can answer some questions as far as my knowledge goes," Wufei started, passing the documents around the table to spread the load more evenly.   
  
Trowa noticed the longhaired man going for the mythology book, thumbing directly to the marked page and searching for something that he might not have found out previously.  
  
"Duo, could we look at the scarab?" Wufei asked.  
  
The other shrugged in response. "I'm sure we could, but I don't know how that might help. I tried everything I could think of, including making a mock-ankh with a lock pick, but there's no apparent hole and it isn't magnetized, so I'm clueless as to how the ankh would go about fitting with the scarab to begin with, but I guess there's no harm in you looking." Duo unfastened the buckle at the back of his neck and carefully handled the scarab over to Wufei, who slipped on a pair of glasses to get a better look.  
  
It seemed to Trowa that he was the only one to have noticed that Duo's response seemed a little lengthy.  
  
"Duo," Mei-Lan said in singsong, "could you tell another story?"  
  
Wufei leveled his gaze with his daughter's. "Where's your mother? You should be in bed."  
  
The small Chinese girl rushed over to stand before her father, resting her hands on his knees, pouting her lower lip, and gazing up at him with large, watery eyes. "Bai tong nei er!"[1]  
  
Trowa caught Duo's widening smile out of the corner of his eye. "Aw, come on, Wufei, I know a nice little one and then she can go to bed."  
  
Wufei leaned back farther into the chair. "Just make it quick. She has to get to bed."  
  
"Will do," Duo said with a wink. "This particular myth is Roman. Everyone knows that Diana, Apollo's twin sister and goddess of the hunt, is also the goddess of night. How this came about is actually a sad story.   
  
"You see, when Apollo and Diana were younger, Apollo obeyed their father, Jupiter, but Diana tended to be more of a free spirit. She all-out refused to brush her teeth, wash daily, finish her dinner, and the like, thinking that Jupiter would never punish her because he loved his children too much, but Diana's disobedience didn't just irritate Jupiter; it irritated Juno as well. Even though Juno was Jupiter's wife, she wasn't the mother of Apollo and Diana, so she didn't particularly care what would happen to the children.   
  
"One night Diana refused to go to bed at the proper time, and Juno was fed up with the girl not behaving, so Juno cursed Diana to forever be the goddess of night, being awake during the darkest hours when everyone else was asleep, bringing forth a destiny of eternal dark and loneliness.  
  
"And that is why, even in Italy today, all little girls and boys go to bed on time, for fear that they will live their whole lives wandering the country at night, just like Diana."  
  
Mei-Lan blinked twice, absorbing all of what Duo told her. She thanked him for telling the myth, kissed Wufei on the cheek, and said a hurried good night to everyone in the room, hurrying to her own for the night.  
  
"Maxwell, I just might want to keep you around for a little while longer," the Chinese man said with a smirk. "Do you know any stories that will get her to eat her vegetables?"  
  
Duo shrugged. "I don't know. I made that one up."  
  
"I found it," Heero announced suddenly. His attention hadn't focused away from the records since he received them. It was a translated list of special trade orders from the higher-ups in Egypt's past. "In the forty-second year of Ramses II's rule, high priest Khunbitet commissioned an item of jade and gold from Tuscany."  
  
"Does it say what happened to the ankh?" Duo's expressive violet eyes were showing just how piqued his curiosity had become.  
  
"There's a comment that says 'the Shadow of Ra looms over Life', but that's all."  
  
Duo's brow furrowed. "The Shadow of Ra?" He quickly thumbed through the mythology text. "The Shadow of Ra is a high peak in the rockier part of the desert several miles outside of what would now be Cairo. The ancient Egyptians would have used it as a source for their stone if it wasn't for the fact that the mountain seemed to be a pyramid for Ra himself."  
  
"Sounds like a good place to start," Trowa commented, wondering on the odds of Quatre meeting them in Cairo. The Maganac Corp was based in that city, after all, and to Trowa's lover, they were loyal friends and protectors. A sudden yawn forced Trowa to realize how tired he really was, and how tired they all should be after the long day.  
  
"I'm sorry for not realizing this sooner, but there are only two extra beds." Sally was standing in the doorway with an apologetic expression. "Two of you might have to share a bed unless it's a problem; then someone could use the sofa."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Heero started, only to be interrupted by Duo.  
  
"Yeah, Sally, it's not a problem. I'm just grateful you were brave enough to feed me," he joked. "I tend to have quite the appetite." Duo looked around at Heero and Trowa. "I'm sure we can work *something* out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] "Please" in Cantonese...hey, that rhymes. ^_^


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Cairo, Egypt  
*~**~*  
  
It had been necessary to leave the Chang residence as early as possible the following morning. Sally had gone into the city and caught wind of OZ soldiers discussing a small aircraft performing an unauthorized landing in one of the suburban districts and that the area was to be scouted by troops around noon. Duo had been the last to wake up, but they were all awake early enough to take some final notes, say their goodbyes to the Changs, and leave well before noontime.  
  
The flight to Cairo was longer than Heero would have liked. They were all eager to get started in the search for the missing ankh, so they had to find things to keep their minds busy. Trowa was busy enough with the actual piloting of the plane, and Duo had made it clear that just because they were back together it didn't mean that they were as _together_ has they had been before. Heero felt his face redden in recollection.  
  
When Sally had announced that there were only two beds and Duo suggested they'd have no problems coming up with arrangements, Heero's mind had automatically come to the conclusion that he and Duo would be sharing one of the beds. The longhaired man had a different idea in mind, apparently, because Duo made it extremely clear that he would be sleeping by himself. Heero, disgruntled, had settled on the couch. He needed to focus on the mission, not on his love life.  
  
Cairo had been easier to get into. The high tourism rate and the fact that all the soldiers were shadowing General Khushrenada meant that no one was watching the airports. Heero didn't bother keeping his or his comrades' arrival in Cairo hidden. OZ was going to find out sooner or later. Sooner just meant that Khushrenada was going to get more territorial and make sure Heero stayed clear of his dig site, which was wrong in the wrong location, anyway, so being kept out didn't hinder their progress much.  
  
Currently they were trying to get through the bazaar in an attempt to reach the Maganac Corp's headquarters, but Duo kept disappearing to look at various booths. Normally this wouldn't have bothered Heero, but he knew that Duo had been to Cairo before, so the sights, sounds, and smells were nothing different to his boyfriend. Combined with the fact that every single vendor on the street knew Duo by name led to small talk about family, business, and other not particularly pressing matters. Heero came to the conclusion that it would take them three days to get through the bazaar at the rate they were going.  
  
"Squab-on-a-stick, good sirs?"  
  
Duo wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue in an expression of disgust. "Ah, no thanks. Gotta cut down on the fledgling pigeon shish-ka-bobs, if you know what I mean. Where I come from that's the same as eating a rat, you know..." He blinked at the vendor. "Ghaalib? What are you doing selling _squab_? Last time I was here you were selling junk and pawning it off as antiques."  
  
The small, heavyset man chuckled. "Duo, squab is easier to get the tourists to buy. More profit this way. Children require food for some reason..."  
  
'Not this again. We're going to be here all week!' "Duo we have to get moving."  
  
"Oh, how rude of me! Ghaalib, this is Heero. I've told you about Heero, right?"  
  
Heero didn't want to stick around and hear what Ghaalib had heard from Duo, so he wrapped his hand around the other man's braid and started to lead him off through the bazaar. Only when they cleared the town square did Heero let go, and Duo rubbed the back of his head, glaring dangerously.  
  
"Do that again, Yuy, and you'll get a first hand experience of what I did to those OZ scumbags back in Sydney."  
  
Heero leveled his gaze at Duo's. "We don't have all the time in the world. Do you want OZ to find the Eye?" He continued walking without waiting for an answer.  
  
"Nice to know you two are getting along," Trowa remarked.  
  
"Doctor Yuy!" a voice suddenly called out, causing Heero to turn around. He found himself face-to-shoulder with an extremely tall Arab man.  
  
"Rashiid," Heero greeted. "We were looking for you."  
  
"We were watching for you since Master Quatre said you'd be arriving."  
  
"Is Quatre here?" Trowa asked quickly, ignoring the looks his sudden outburst got from the people walking by on the street.  
  
"Master Quatre said he should be able to make it within the week, once he finishes with his other duties."  
  
Heero didn't notice the sudden stillness of the road they were on. "What's OZ been up to in Cairo?" He felt a tug on his arm. "Duo, what is it?"  
  
The longhaired man pointed off in the distance. "I think that should answer your question." He followed Duo's finger to see a jeep holding half a dozen soldiers coming their way. Every single one of them was armed with an automatic rifle mounted on the roll bar of the vehicle.  
  
Without another thought, Heero pulled out the gun he had grown used to keeping in a holster at his side and fired three shots at the jeep's front driver-side tire. They connected, exploding the tire from the rim and causing the vehicle to go swerving into the outside wall of a clay building.  
  
Rashiid started off down a side alley. "This way!" he called, running from the OZ soldiers who couldn't seem to decide whether they should run after the archaeologist or put out the fire in their engine.  
  
"You know what, Heero?" Duo yelled as they ran. "Why do I always feel like I'm in for more than I bargained for whenever I'm around you?"  
  
"It's in his blood," Trowa couldn't help but comment as they reached the Maganac Corp headquarters.


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Cairo, Egypt  
*~**~*  
  
Duo frowned. The Shadow of Ra wasn't as big as it appeared to be in the book. Compared to the surrounding landscape it was the largest thing around, but the ancient illustration made it out to look bigger than Everest. That wasn't the only reason he was frowning, though. They were going to be climbing around that mountain at dusk and most likely during the night because it would be too dangerous during the day with the heat of the desert. Duo could deal with the heat. Just drink water, wear light clothes, and sweat a lot, and the heat became more bearable. Night was what the longhaired man couldn't stand. The coolness was refreshing, but that wasn't his problem. It was the scorpions.  
  
He didn't even have the heart to tell Heero that night was when all the snakes would be out hunting, either. When Duo first found out about Heero's near phobia for anything serpentine, Duo had at first laughed about it. He didn't think that Heero Yuy, adventurer extraordinaire, was afraid of anything. But he was. Heero never went into detail about where the fear came from, and Duo knew better than to ask him about it. Duo's dislike for scorpions was simple. They were creepy looking. They were highly poisonous. They were merciless. At least a snake would only attack you if you pissed it off. A scorpion would attack if you looked at it the wrong way.  
  
The sun was heading behind the mountain, creating a shadow that swallowed up the truck Duo was riding in with Heero and a man called Abdul who seemed a little unstable but, according to Rashiid, knew the Shadow better than any of the other Maganacs. Trowa was actually back at the house they were being allowed to use. Quatre had arrived several hours before they left, and Duo could tell that they really were in love with each other. Trowa seemed like a different person when his lover was around.  
  
Quatre and Duo had actually gotten along quite well, which seemed to surprise Heero and Trowa. Duo couldn't understand why they would be so surprised. Duo had a small number of people that he considered enemies, and he was naturally sociable, so being put in a room with an equally gregarious individual resulted in a faster, easier connection than it would take between quieter people like Heero and Trowa.  
  
Heero was a different story, though. They had met in college during their Freshman year. Their specialized courses were pretty much the same, Archaeology, Mythology, and Anthropology 101. Both were intelligent, but Duo hung out with the more "popular" crowd. Duo didn't like remembering these sort of things, but Heero did become his friend when the people he _thought_ were his friends had kicked him out.  
  
Duo thought his friends had liked him because of him. As it turns out, they just liked him because he was good-looking and was a talented basketball[1] player. He decided to tell them that he preferred men to women and they would be okay with it, but he was wrong. They stopped talking to him altogether. Stopped asking him if they wanted to go shoot hoops after class. Stopped arranging times in the library to meet and go out into the city and do things. It was worse when they started telling other people in the school. His roommate requested to switch rooms, and the only way that had been possible was when Heero switched in.  
  
Heero didn't care that Duo liked guys. They became friends anyway, and after some time, both learned of their mutual attraction. Heero got a lot of opportunities to travel abroad, and Duo always went with him. When Heero was invited to study in Greece, he refused to accept the offer unless Duo was allowed to go with him, so they went to Athens. That's where their relationship changed. Duo realized he was in love, and while he sensed the same from Heero, the other had never verbalized his feelings. 'And I still don't know if he ever loved me the way I love him.'  
  
Duo checked again to make sure all his weapons were hidden yet accessible. He tried to keep away thoughts of falling through a hole in the ground and ending up in a cave full of the lethal arachnids, but his imagination kept getting the better of him. Duo slammed his head into the seat in front of him, trying to knock the thoughts out of his mind.  
  
"Duo, stop it, you're going to hurt yourself."  
  
"Thanks, Heero. I'll keep that in mind when poison is being injected into my blood a thousand times over."  
  
The other man blinked. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Scorpions! They're nocturnal!"  
  
Heero leaned back in his seat, not impressed. "Just make noise like you always do and they'll stay away."  
  
Duo snorted. "Don't know if that'll work as well with the cobras." He saw Heero stiffen out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but smirk. All was silent for a few more minutes as they watched the mountain get closer and closer. Duo looked back over at Heero who seemed to be scanning the desert for sidewinders. He leaned over, resting his head on Heero's shoulder. "We're too big for them to eat, anyways. They're just hunting at this hour, so the only way you can make one mad is by stealing its dinner." Duo reached around Heero's waist to grasp at his other hand. "And the only _real_ snakes we have to worry about are Marquise and Khushrenada."  
  
Heero eased back, glancing over at Duo. "I don't know. I could really go for some rodent right about now."  
  
Duo's features tightened. "That's really gross. 'Course, that Japanese blood of yours leaves you craving raw meat all the time." He flashed a grin in the darkness.  
  
The archaeologist flicked Duo's ear in response. "I can remember one time in India when you ate monkey brains thinking it was actually bread."[2]  
  
"We can't drive any further," Abdul announced, bringing the truck to a stop and turning off the engine. "We'll have to walk the rest of the way."  
  
Duo grabbed the flashlight that had been next to him in the seat and jumped out of the door, landing with a light thump in the sand. He switched it on, bathing his surroundings in a wash of light that made everything look gray.   
  
"According to Wufei's book," Heero said, "the ankh in hidden on a temple halfway up the south-facing slope."  
  
They ascended as quickly as possible. The climb was easy, not very steep and the only obstacles being larger rocks on the way up. About a quarter of the way up, Duo's chest started to feel really warm.  
  
"Hey, Heero? It is getting a little toasty up here or is it just me?"  
  
Duo could see Heero's silhouette turn around in the darkness, the light from his flashlight washing over the longhaired man. Duo could see Prussian blue eyes go wide. "Duo...the scarab..."  
  
He looked down at his chest, too shocked to think of anything to say. The scarab was glowing a faint gold that seemed to be getting brighter as they climbed. "It must be detecting the ankh," Duo said, awed.  
  
A few more minutes passed, and not only was the scarab glowing, but it was throbbing, as well, producing a deep hum that resonated the atmosphere. A cliff was jutting up in front of them with vines overgrown on its surface.  
  
"This isn't right," Heero said. "The mountain is all rock. Why would there be plants all of a sudden?"  
  
Duo pulled the knife out of his boot and began to cut away at the wall of vegetation. A stone carving slowly began to become visible from underneath. Suddenly, any motion from the scarab stopped. Duo looked up. Carved into the wall was the images of Osiris and Isis at their thrones, watching over the land before them. Around Isis's finger was a ring, bearing a gold ankh about one centimeter long. Duo ran his fingers over the surface. The ankh in the picture wasn't just part of the stone carving. It was the missing piece of the scarab. They had found it!  
  
Duo felt tears come to his eyes; he tried to blink them away. 'All that time of searching, and here it is, right in front of me.' Duo looked over at Heero, smiling broadly. The other man smiled slightly in response.  
  
"Here it is! The ankh...it's found!" Duo let out with a cheer that rang across the desert. He ran towards Heero, leaping at him in an enthusiastic hug at their discovery. "I can't believe you did it."  
  
Heero shook his head. "We did it." He pressed his mouth against Duo's, and the other man kissed back with all the enthusiasm he could muster. When they pulled apart, both were smiling like children.  
  
Duo looked around, confused. "Where'd Abdul go?"  
  
Heero shrugged and started to look around for the other man when a spotlight froze him in place next to Duo. They had to hold a hand over their eyes to shield them from the light.  
  
"Who's there?" Heero called out, hand going for the gun at his side.  
  
A tall man came out of the desert with a dozen OZ soldiers flanking him. "We meet again, Doctor Yuy."  
  
"Zechs Marquise," Heero snarled. "Tell your master, General Khushrenada, that I wish I had been able to meet him, as well."  
  
"You always had a temper," Zechs mocked, commanding the soldiers with quick hand gestures. Before he could blink, three were restraining Heero, another three holding back Duo, and the remaining six had their weapons trained on the two men. "I believe you have found something for me, Yuy, and I'm going to take it from you. You get a choice whether it is willingly or not, of course."  
  
"Over my dead body," Heero spat.  
  
"I thought you'd say something like that." Zechs's mouth curled into a smile. "We'll have it your way, then."  
  
The last things Heero remembered before being enveloped by darkness were a gun being fired, the pain lancing through his side, and Duo screaming his name into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1]Don't remember the year basketball was invented in, so if this is too early, deal with it.
> 
> [2]If I recall correctly, monkey brains is known as sweet bread.


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Cairo, Egypt  
*~**~*  
  
Duo was too shocked to try and fight the OZ soldiers. The sound of the gun echoed through his ears, accompanied by the image of Heero falling to the ground. It just wouldn't stop. He barely even registered when he got put in the OZ jeep and brought away from the Shadow of Ra.  
  
'Is Heero dead? I couldn't tell where he got shot... Where the hell did Abdul go? Shit, Heero...' The farthest thing from Duo's mind was the fact that Marquise had the ankh and would more likely than not going to take the scarab away from him, as well. The longhaired American looked up and glared when Zechs Marquise narrowed his gaze in the other man's direction.  
  
"You must be Duo Maxwell."  
  
Duo clenched his fists so tightly he could feel his nails digging into his skin, creating red lines on the surface.  
  
"We have found your journal. We know you have the scarab." Zechs frowned at Duo's lack of response. "We also know that you and Yuy have had a history of some kind. He may still be alive. I can have it ordered that he won't be."  
  
The last threat made Duo snap. "Fucking prick, you're an archaeologist, not some OZ piece of shit! Why the hell do you side with that scum, anyway?"  
  
Marquise smirked slightly, "Calm down, Mister Maxwell, you don't need to lose your temper. It's not like it's the end of the world. To answer your question, in this field, it pays to know who holds the key to power."  
  
"You wouldn't be in the field if you were just after money."  
  
"On the contrary, both of us know that while money isn't the issue, the rewards are always great. Money and fame are what get you anywhere in life, though. Don't know how _you_ managed to get this far, being a war orphan [1] and all..."  
  
Duo's expression hardened, eyes becoming dull. "Fuck you."  
  
Zechs sneered in reply before turning around to face forward again. Duo sat, quietly fuming as the vehicle entered the outskirts of Cairo. Flames from candles flickered in the windows of distant dwellings. A lot of the people could barely afford to live, forget electricity.  
  
They stopped at a centralized building. It looked cleaner and more kept up than the rest of the city. OZ soldiers were standing at the entrance, standing ramrod straight and at attention, saluting sharply when Zechs stepped out of the jeep. Duo couldn't help but snort at the pretentious display.  
  
Marquise waved a gloved hand in Duo's direction. "This man is under our supervision. I'm bringing him to see General Khushrenada."  
  
The taller of the two guards nodded quickly, lowering his hand, and removing a key from a hidden pocket to unlock the door. The other guards from the jeep fell in behind Zechs, who grabbed Duo's arm and pulled him towards the door.  
  
'No way in hell am _I_ going to meet Khushrenada without a fight.' Duo kicked and spun out of the blond man's grasp, tucking and standing back up with his gun in his hands in one swift motion. He aimed at the soldiers, not caring if the shots were going to be fatal or not, and fired. He got in six quick shots, seeing two fall dead and three more grasp their injuries in surprise, but he couldn't see the last soldier until it was too late. Duo felt something heavy connect with his head. Clouds blurred his vision, and he fell to the ground unconscious.  
  
*~**~*  
  
Duo's first thought upon reawakening was that maybe the night's ordeal had all been a dream. He could feel sunlight streaming across the room, heating the air, and judging from the feel of the surface he was on, it was a fairly comfortable mattress. Indigo eyes shot open. The room was anything but familiar, causing Duo to sit up, but he just as quickly lied back down, rubbing his head which was throbbing from the sudden movement. He felt a bump on his head which was tender to the touch and from the way his hair around the wound felt crusty, had bled for a bit. The sound of a door opening jarred his attention from the injury on his head to whoever was intruding.  
  
The man that entered held himself with a regal confidence. Even though he was wearing simple khakis and a navy, button up shirt, Duo could still tell who it was. The man was seen as a tyrant and menace throughout the American newsreels, and while he rarely allowed himself to be seen by the papers, General Treize Khushrenada's face was well-known throughout the world.  
  
"Mr. Maxwell, it is rather unfortunate that we had to have met like this." Duo had to fight the urge to back away from the other man's gaze. It seemed...predatory. "I would have preferred our introduction to be on more _pleasant_ terms."  
  
"I can't imagine any circumstance that would have me on your side," Duo replied smoothly, sitting up carefully and hoping the wave of nausea wouldn't return. He didn't trust Treize as far as he could throw him, so he didn't want to be an invalid during whatever the general was there for.  
  
Treize narrowed his eyes as Duo got out of the bed, trying to position himself towards a door, window, or anything that meant escape. The older man took a step forward. "I read your journal. I couldn't imagine what a young man as intelligent and attractive as yourself would be doing with Heero Yuy."  
  
Duo noticed how General Khushrenada had seemed to be purring until he said Heero's name, which he spat out. It brought a slight grin for his face, hope surging up with the knowledge that Heero couldn't be dead. Not when Treize was still around for him to harass.  
  
"What do you want with me?" Duo snapped, trying to put as much anger in his voice as possible. He didn't want to risk the chance of sounding afraid to the other man, even if it was Heero's well being he feared more than his own.  
  
"Well, I did just want this," Treize's hand motioned to an object around his neck. It took Duo a moment to figure out exactly what it was, but when he did, his hands moved to his collarbone in disbelief. The comfortable weight around his neck was no longer there. OZ had the scarab and the ankh. "You see," Treize stalked forward, "I had just wanted this little scarab, at first, but then I realized..." Duo's eyes widened as General Khushrenada traced the back of his knuckles along the American's jaw line, stopping to grasp his chin. "I realized I wanted you." The other grinned devilishly. "Then, I'll have taken _three_ things from Yuy that he treasured."  
  
Duo didn't realize he had been backing up until he hit the wall and found that he could go no farther. He looked at the door longingly, wondering if it would be better to kick Khushrenada in the jewels and run for it or just play through and hope for the best.  
  
"General?" a voice rang up, and from the way it echoed, it sounded like the room was at the top of a staircase, but how far from the ground they were, Duo wasn't positive. "The ankh has been fully recovered. Doctor Marquise would like you to see it."  
  
Treize sighed deeply. "And yet I have duties to attend to." The older man bend forward, brushing his lips over Duo, causing the American to freeze, holding his breath. "I'll be back later." With a sly smile he left the room, closing and locking the door behind him.  
  
Duo collapsed to the ground, wrapping his arms around his knees and trying to fight back the emotions spewing forth. It left him trembling on the floor, wanting a catharsis but too stubborn to let himself cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] This takes place in 1939, so the last war would've been WWI. Duo's in his early 20s, making him born towards the end of the war. Children whose parents died because of or shortly after the war would still be considered war orphans.


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Cairo, Egypt  
*~**~*  
  
Quatre smiled slightly, full of relief, when Heero's eyes fluttered open. He looked pained, but the blond man couldn't determine if the pain was from the injury or the previous evening's events. If it hadn't been for Abdul, Heero would have died on the mountain from blood loss or due to the scavengers that lived in the vicinity. Abdul had apologized profusely, going on about how he saw OZ coming, but by the time he reached where Heero and Duo were, it had been too late.  
  
Heero accepted the glass of water Quatre offered him. He had been out for the count for nearly twenty-four hours. Quatre knew that Heero would force himself to heal as quickly as possible, though. The other man wouldn't rest until he knew the mission was over. 'He doesn't even know about Duo yet...'  
  
"How do you feel?" Quatre ventured, the silence getting unbearable.  
  
"Like hell," Heero replied. His voice sounded a little groggy, so he cleared his throat. "How long was I out?"  
  
"Just a little less than a day. You're fine, more or less. The bullet glanced right off your hip, apparently, so once the pain subsides you're more or less good to go. We had to make sure the wound didn't get infected and you got stitches from where the bullet had to be taken out, but that's really it."  
  
"Hn," Heero grunted as he forced himself to sit upright. "OZ has the ankh?"   
  
Quatre nodded mutely.  
  
"They'll find out it's useless without the scarab." Heero's eyes narrowed at the other man's faltering smile. "We have the scarab, don't we?" He swore when Quatre didn't respond, his mouth forming a tight line. "How does OZ have it if Duo does?"  
  
Aquamarine eyes took on an apologetic look, and he saw the understanding cross Heero's features.  
  
"Shit." Heero stood, wincing as the weight made its way up to his injured hip. Quatre moved to try to get Heero back on the bed, but a Prussian blue glare don't him to stay away. Quatre knew better than to get in the way of an angry Heero. The Japanese-American pushed aside the curtain[1], looking in the distant rooms and using the wall to support half his weight. "Duo! Duo! Damn it, Quatre, where is he!?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Heero," Quatre put as much sympathy in his voice as he could manage. "OZ has him. Now please, you shouldn't be standing."  
  
Heero lowered his head, allowing Quatre to lead him back to the room. "I abandoned him again."  
  
"You passed out; there was nothing you could do about it."  
  
"He probably thinks I'm dead."  
  
"Well you aren't, so don't worry about it." Quatre bit his lower lip. "Trowa and Rashiid went out earlier to see what they could find out. You can't race head first into this. You're lucky you're not dead."  
  
Heero was gazing blankly at the wall. Quatre let out an aggravated sigh. "I know you plan on leaving the second I step out of this room, but can you at least wait until Trowa returns? Then you'll have an idea on what to expect." Quatre turned to leave the room.  
  
"I'll wait for Trowa. I'd be in over my head if I went injured and alone."  
  
Quatre turned around, smiling at his friend. "Thank you, Heero. Now just rest." He left, going for the hidden part of the building that was underground and comprised of the Maganacs' headquarters. As a result of being built in the earth itself, the base of operations was cooler than the levels above.  
  
The desert-facing side had a ramp that lead up to the surface so vehicles could be driven up and down. A door could be pulled down to camouflage the entrance, having been painted to look like the rest of the building from far away. Quatre noticed one of the Maganacs running up to pull open the door, a jeep driving down into the headquarters. He smiled when he saw Trowa climb out, and he raced over to his lover.  
  
"Heero's awake," Quatre announced, "but, understandably, he's in a mood and won't wait around for long."  
  
Trowa pulled the slightly smaller blond man to his side with one arm, planting a chaste kiss on his forehead. "Wouldn't expect otherwise from him."  
  
Quatre frowned slightly. "But does he care more about OZ finding the Eye or Duo's well being?"  
  
"OZ wouldn't have Duo if they didn't think Heero would come for him."  
  
Quatre sighed, leaning into Trowa's embrace. "I just want everything to turn out all right at the end of this. Heero tends to get himself into more trouble than he can handle."  
  
The taller man's mouth quirked upwards into a smile. "That's why I'm here to help."  
  
"Look how modest you are!" Quatre said, voice oozing sarcasm as he playfully punched Trowa's shoulder. "One of the few times you need to be serious and you're trying to be a clown."  
  
Trowa just shrugged.  
  
"So, did you and Rashiid learn anything interesting?"  
  
"The general and Doctor Marquise are heading out tomorrow around noon with several soldiers. They're going to find the Eye, since the legends said that the scarab combined with the ankh will lead you to it."  
  
Blond eyebrows furrowed together. "Where are they going to start?"  
  
"Same site where Duo found the scarab, in an uncovered shrine near the pyramids of Giza. I don't know what the decision was based on, but they seemed pretty certain."  
  
"Then we leave tomorrow before noon," came a voice from behind. Quatre spun around to see Heero leaned up against a table with a scale model of the city built on top of it. "Too much is at stake for us not to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Remember, no doors because you want a draft when it's hotter than hell outside. Think like a bead curtain only cloth, or a Japanese noren only longer.


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
Cairo, Egypt  
*~**~*  
  
"We're heading to the shrine at noon. The scarab needs to be tested. If it works, the Eye is ours," Zechs couldn't help but smile victoriously.  
  
Treize's eyes narrowed. "Since when are you at liberty to command my soldiers?"  
  
The blond man evened his gaze at the general. "You said anything involving researching or looking for the Eye was under my authority and your supervision. The scarab involves both of those things, so it's today that we're going to proceed." Zech's expression soured. "And if your soldiers can shoot properly, Yuy is dead and we have nothing to worry about. Unless, of course, that _pet_ of yours decides to give us more trouble."  
  
The older man's features darkened visibly. "Duo isn't accepting my hospitality like he should be. I believe that it's your fault."  
  
"I deal with ancient artifacts, not people."  
  
"We should prepare for a celebration," Treize continued, "if the Eye is to be found within the next few hours. Lady Une..."  
  
A tall woman with brown hair cropped up into two buns stepped towards General Khushrenada from her silent guard in the doorway. "Yes, Mister Treize?"  
  
"We're leaving in an hour. Duo is coming with us. I want you to make sure he is dressed...appropriately."  
  
"Did you have anything in mind, sir?"  
  
"There's a trunk at the foot of my bed. The garments in the first box should fit."  
  
Une schooled her expression into one of understanding. "I'll get to it." She exited without another word, just a sharp salute before leaving.  
  
"You're allowing yourself to be distracted, Treize. Distraction leads to mistakes."  
  
"Well, then," the general returned sharply, "you must have been too distracted to do your duty because in order to find the scarab and the ankh since you had to steal them from Doctor Yuy." Treize left the room, leaving Zechs to glower at his back.  
  
*~**~*  
  
It had rained the previous day, which was odd for this time in the summer, but the OZ soldiers didn't think anything of it. Rain meant that the humidity was nowhere near as oppressive as usual, and it made their lives a bit more comfortable. All the soldiers at Treize's current disposal in Cairo were piling into desert-outfitted jeeps, ready for whatever needed to be done. Digging equipment followed in a truck with three-dozen of the hired hands who were forced to follow the vehicles on foot.  
  
Zechs lowered the brim of his hat to shield his eyes from the sun. 'I'm going to take a vacation when this is over. Someplace mildly temperate with no sand.'   
  
The soldiers were all ready to go. They just had to wait for General Khushrenada. He was nowhere to be seen, as well was Lady Une. Treize finally emerged, wearing his full uniform down to the black cape across his shoulders. He waved a gloved hand to the people assembled before climbing into his jeep. Lady Une was soon behind dragging a disgruntled-looking Duo Maxwell behind her, hands bound together and legs tied with enough slack for small steps. Zechs almost felt bad for the young man, but a friend of his enemy was also his enemy, so the blond man felt no sympathy.  
  
Maxwell's appropriate attire according to Treize consisted of light cotton pants and a vest matching the hue of his eyes, lacing in the front but not closed completely tight. Zechs couldn't tell what Treize's purpose with the longhaired American was. He couldn't tell if it was sexual or just a taken opportunity to taunt Yuy if he should still be alive. Zechs hoped it was the latter in knowing he'd be able to enjoy in that, as well.  
  
Marquise jumped over the passenger-side door and settled himself in the seat beside General Khushrenada while Lady Une forced Duo into the back and slide in beside him. Treize started up the engine and began to head down the road towards the pyramids, his soldiers' vehicles following close behind.  
  
"Where the _hell_ are we going?"  
  
"After the Eye of Horus, of course, dear Duo," Treize replied, unaffected by the younger man's outburst. Zechs caught Maxwell shuddering in the rearview mirror from the endearment. He couldn't help but smirk.  
  
"We aren't going to let you have the Eye, even if you _do_ find it."  
  
"The only real threat was Yuy, and he most likely will not be joining us this afternoon," Zechs opted to rub salt in the wound. "You or your friends can't possibly hurt us."  
  
Duo snorted. "I took care of some of your ranks back in Sydney, and I believe I got two this morning. I hope that counts for something."  
  
"Yet you were unable to escape the two times you tried."  
  
"Let's see you jump out of a window seven stories up and see what happens. Maybe that'll help me decide if that's the better way to go."  
  
"Enough, both of you, it's pitiful. You're acting like children." Treize pulled the jeep next to one of the canvas tents at the dig site, turning the ignition to shut off the engine and climbing out. "You're both about to witness the recovery of the Eye. It's something you've both been waiting for, so don't spoil it."  
  
"Too late, Khushy, it was ruined for me back when the bad guys took control." Duo crossed his arms across his chest. "Knowing Heero, he's out there right now waiting for you so he can make his move, and when he does, you can be sure that OZ will be on the receiving end, which won't be pretty."  
  
"Duo, you talk a lot. You'd be a prettier desert rose if you weren't so verbal. Lady Une, assist him in being less vocal." Treize undid the thong around his neck, pulling the scarab out from under his uniform to study it in the sunlight. He watched Une take the handkerchief from her pocket and use it as a gag to silence the longhaired man. Duo tried to struggle in protest, but with his limbs bound, the effort proved futile.  
  
All the soldiers had arrived and were standing in rows, awaiting Treize's order. He pulled the ankh out of his pocket. The scarab started to glow in response, throbbing a rhythm that got faster and faster to a steady monotone as the ankh was held closer and closer. The light from the scarab soon enveloped the ankh, and a burst of green exploded forth, causing all persons in the area to either dive to the ground or shield their faces. Duo kept watching, enrapt. The jade scarab had turned into what appeared to be the actual insect, wings fluttering, but with the shape of a golden ankh on its back.  
  
Zechs smiled, ecstatic had what he had just witnessed, and more curious as to how the ancient Egyptians crafted such a thing instead of the location of the Eye.  
  
It was Treize who got a grip on why they activated the scarab in the first place. "Bring us to the Eye of Horus," he said, face a mere foot from where the insect hovered. Without another word, the scarab flew off in a flash, leaving a trail of green light in its wake. The soldiers scrambled into the vehicles to chase after it, not even waiting for an order from their general.


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*   
Cairo, Egypt   
*~**~*  
  
Treize's hurried driving accompanied by Une's and Zechs's distracted state watching their surroundings for whatever the scarab was leading them to left Duo to his own devices. He knew he had the ability to just prop his legs on the seat and jump out, but Duo knew that the following vehicles would either run him over or recapture him. With his legs tied the way they were, Duo couldn't run fast enough. So he settled on attempting to untie his restraints before making any further moves.  
  
He had already succeeded in getting the ropes around his wrists loose enough so he'd be able to slip them off at a moment's notice, but subtly loosening the knots at his ankles was somewhat more difficult to do without attracting any attention.  
  
They were heading after the scarab further and further into the desert. They seemed to be in a canyon, tall, sharp cliffs on either side as they weaved their way after the green trail of light. At one point in history, the canyon had been a river, but the shifting of the continents moved what was then a lush jungle towards the Equator, forcing the climate into a more extreme one. Duo picked uncomfortably at the vest. The material was breathable, but he was still getting warm.  
  
Duo jolted forward suddenly as Treize applied the brakes, grabbing at the back of Zechs's seat so he didn't fly out and over the hood of the vehicle. The scarab was hovering in front of a section of the cliff face, and when the blond man got out to stand beside it, the scarab flew into the rock, crumbling a hole large enough for a man to fit through. It continued to fly about in a whirlwind, creating a circle of emerald light as it went.  
  
A hand clenching his arm brought Duo back to his immediate surroundings. Lady Une was pulling on him to get out, dragging Duo after Treize and Zechs into the cave. The longhaired young man held his breath, not knowing what to expect, and felt disappointed the second he saw the interior of the cave. It was just more rock.  
  
The scarab zipped past his ear and flew into the right interior wall, but this time, it exploded like fireworks, sending green sparks in every direction. The rock walls started to shake and crumble around them, Duo getting the wind knocked out of him as he was pushed to the ground by a soldier. The dust in the air caused him to cough, the attempt to clear his lungs turning more into a gag because of the handkerchief stuffed in his mouth.  
  
"My God..." he heard Zechs voice filled with awe, causing Duo's head to snap up. The cavern walls had crumbled entirely, and the remaining surface was intricately carved and painted gold. Murals with various scenes depicting the Egyptian gods and goddesses decorated the walls, a myriad of detail and color. It looked like a labyrinth. Thousands of sub corridors ran off from the room they were in. Duo looked up even further. The ceiling appeared to be over two hundred feet up with even more corridors branching off. Dozens of ladders propped on platforms seemed the only way up or down.  
  
"Well," Treize was standing in the center with his arms crossed. "Where is the Eye?"  
  
Zechs stated the obvious. "We have to find it."  
  
Even Duo was at a loss. All the information he gathered said nothing beyond needing the jade scarab. He had as much of a clue as Marquise and the OZ people did.  
  
Shouting from outside and the sound of guns firing had General Khushrenada fuming. He stepped back out into the canyon, eyes cold. "What is going on out here?"  
  
Curiosity drove Duo to stand in the entrance.  
  
"Someone's shooting at us, sir," came the reply of a soldier that seemed familiar to Duo but he couldn't place it. 'Must have been one of the guys guarding me earlier, but that doesn't seem to feel quite right...'  
  
"Who is it!?"  
  
"Can't tell, sir, but there's more than one of them, whoever it is."  
  
Duo caught the gleam in Treize's eye and should've picked that moment to run, but it was too late. The older man grabbed him by the braid; Duo clenched his teeth, trying not to scream out in pain as his eyes began to water. He gasped when Treize tore the gag out of his mouth.  
  
"Friends of yours, meine hübsche Blume?"  
  
"Was kümmert es Sie?" Duo spat back in German to show Treize that he wasn't an idiot and knew what the man had said. "Sie töten Sie irgendwie."[1]  
  
Treize shook his head, mouth forming a grim line. "You're as intelligent as you are beautiful. Your life will be a tragic loss." Violet eyes widened in fear, and he seemed frozen in place by Treize's predatory gaze. "Such a waste," the general murmured, absent-mindedly stroking Duo's hair between his thumb and forefinger. Duo's instincts couldn't decide between fight or flight, measuring the pros and cons of each option.  
  
The American screwed his eyes shut tightly upon seeing Treize lowering his mouth to his own. He fought the urge to throw up as he felt the older man's tongue invade his mouth, swiping over and tasting the surface. Defense-mode kicked in, and Duo bit down on the general's tongue, causing him to shove Duo to the ground and wipe the blood from his mouth. The residue of the coppery flavor made Duo want to gag, but several soldiers with guns trained at him gave Duo other things to worry about.  
  
"I didn't want to have to kill you," Treize said, expression almost said, but it took on a look of rage almost instantly, "but because of your insolence, I will enjoy watching you die."  
  
Duo stood up slowly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. OZ soldiers circled around him, guns still trained. He knew there were too many of them to chance anything. 'Looks like I just have to hope that whoever is out there wants me alive.' Duo allowed himself a slight smile. He had seen a glint of metal on a ledge above. Someone was watching them and had a weapon trained at the general. "That may be so, but you'll never get to find out."  
  
Duo kicked out at the closest soldier, hitting him solidly in the gut which caused the man to drop his gun. The American slipped out of the ropes, savoring his unlimited range of movement as he picked up the discarded weapon and trained it on the surrounding soldiers. "If anyone moves, I'll kill you!"  
  
The sound of an engine coming to life caused some of Treize's men to look at the source of the noise, leaping aside just in time to avoid being run over by the truck. "Get in!" the driver shouted over the noise, and Duo didn't need a second invitation. He dashed in, quickly shutting the door and ducking as several of the officers began to shoot at the retreating truck.  
  
Duo looked over at the man at the wheel and recognized him immediately as the soldier from before, and automatically laughed realizing who it had been. "Damn, Trowa, even I couldn't recognize you with your hair out of your face."  
  
"That was the idea," the other man replied, green eyes glinting with satisfaction. "You might want to check out the cargo."  
  
Duo glanced through the canvas to see what they were carrying. He whistled in appreciation. "Wow. Quite the artillery. All we need is a fighter plane and a tank and we've got the whole set." He sat back down in the seat. "The Eye is in the cavern, though. We need to find a way to get back in."  
  
Trowa nodded in agreement. "We have our own little camp set up in the cliffs. We have a better vantage point and there's someone up there who knows of another way into the cave."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"We'll be there in a moment."  
  
The camp was pretty large. It looked like all forty of the Maganacs were helping, and Duo could see Quatre waving as they drove by.  
  
"Why is there a fire? Won't OZ see it?"  
  
Trowa shook his head. "The fuel we're using doesn't make smoke and burns hot but not bright enough to be seen below."  
  
Duo didn't respond. He just leaned against the window, watching what was going on in the surrounding camp. He looked at one of the camp fires, which was indeed burning so hot it was blue, and noticed that there was a lone figure sitting by it. Duo frowned. The silhouette looked familiar. Memory kicked in, and Duo jumped out of the truck door before Trowa had a chance to slow down or even stop.  
  
"Heero!" he called, running towards and throwing himself at his love. Duo looked the archaeologist up and down, checking to make sure it really was him and he was still in one piece. "Y-you're alive."  
  
Heero held his hand against Duo's face, and the American brought his own hand up to cover Heero's. "Duo..." A smile grew on his face. "Baka."  
  
"Shitteiru. Arigatou."[2]  
  
Prussian blue eyes narrowed in confusion. "For what?"  
  
"For being you," Duo replied, leaning into Heero's embrace and wrapping his arms around the other man's shoulders. A wave of relief washed over him. For the time being, he was safe. Treize couldn't touch him; Heero was around. It was with that understanding was Duo able to break down his walls and release all the frustration from the past twenty-four hours. He sobbed into Heero's shoulder, and Heero carefully lowered them to the ground, rubbing Duo's back, just letting him know that everything was all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] My Treize is German. My Duo is polylingual. Deal with it. "Friends of yours, my pretty flower?" "Why do you care? They will kill you anyway."
> 
> [2] Muhahaha! More bilingual-ness! ^_^ "Fool/idiot." " I know. Thank you."


	17. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*   
Cairo, Egypt   
*~**~*  
  
Heero couldn't think of anything appropriate to say, so he just held Duo, crouched to the ground and letting his koi release all his anger, frustration, and sorrow out on his shoulder. "I thought you were dead," Duo murmured after some time had passed, trembling slightly from the sudden catharsis.  
  
"It'd take more than an OZ bullet to kill me," the young doctor replied, leaning back slightly. Heero reached up, brushing chestnut bangs out of blue-violet eyes. "Are you all right?"  
  
Duo nodded slightly. "I am now," he replied frankly. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "You wouldn't have anything warmer I could wear would you?"  
  
Heero's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He didn't touch you, did he?"  
  
The longhaired man shuddered involuntarily recalling what he had to put up with from the general. "I don't really want to talk about it right now." Duo pressed his lips firmly into a line. "I just want to forget about it."  
  
The other man stood up suddenly, hands clenched into fists at his side. "Duo, tell me! He deserves to pay for his crimes!"  
  
Duo winced, trying his hardest to avoid eye contact with Heero, but the worry in the Prussian blue depths kept pulling him back, forcing him to hold a steady gaze. "H-he'd kiss me, calling me his pet; he'd touch my hair and my face. I...I don't want to think about it."  
  
The injured expression on the other man's face was making Heero even more enraged at OZ's general. 'Duo's such a strong person... Why the hell did he have to try to break his spirit like that? What kind of sick person takes pleasure in the agony of others?'  
  
A cool breeze swept over them, promising a break from the intense heat of the day. Heero noticed Duo shiver and berated himself for not acting sooner. "Come on. There's blankets in my tent and there should be something warmer you could wear lying around." He helped Duo up and didn't say anything when the American didn't release his hand, instead gripping it tighter and huddling to his side. Heero shrugged off his jacket, placing it across Duo's shoulders until they got to the tent which was a little warmer since it trapped the heat of the day and kept out the chilled nighttime wind.  
  
"The Eye's in that cavern somewhere." Duo was twirling a loose strand of hair around his finger. "With all the Maganacs, handling the soldiers should be a breeze. I don't know what Khushrenada and Marquise would do, but no one really knows the exact location of the Eye, anyway, so our odds are pretty evenly matched."  
  
"It's not that important right now. We're at a stalemate until one side comes up with the Eye, and we have the advantage of contacts in the area and elsewhere who possibly have access to the information we need." Heero pushed open the canvas door to one of the tents and motioned for Duo to go inside. Heero smiled at seeing the amazement on his koi's features.  
  
"Shit, this is a tent? I think this is bigger than my hotel room! Cots, trunks, and even a full-length mirror... The Maganacs really know how to do it up when they go camping!" He titled his head, watching Heero dig through one of the trunks. "Why'd you bring so many clothes?"  
  
"I didn't," Heero managed to find an extra shirt and pair of pants for Duo, hoping they'd fit. "It's mostly equipment that was on the plane. Some of it is food rations."  
  
"Thank God, I'm starving!" Duo graciously accepted the canteen of water Heero offered him, but wrinkled his nose at what was supposed to be food. "Are you sure that's edible?"  
  
"They're roasting lamb and squab around one of the campfires if you'd prefer that instead." Heero pulled out more ration bars, knowing that Duo wouldn't go for the meat. He knew it was negative on the squab because it's essentially a pigeon which, according to Duo, is the avian form of a rat. Duo wouldn't go for the lamb, either, because Heero recalled from Greece that the longhaired man could never bring himself to eat a lamb because they were "just too damn cute".  
  
["You see, some things are cute so you _don't_ want to eat them. Other things," Duo said with a wink, "make you _want_ to stick their meat in your mouth."]  
  
Heero felt his face grow warm in memory of what had transpired after that particular dinner.  
  
"Earth to Heero..." Duo called, and only then did the other man notice that he had stopped paying attention to whatever Duo had been rambling about for a moment. "You spaced. What's going on upstairs?"  
  
"Just thinking about Greece," Heero closed the trunk carefully, making sure it was locked. "The time you told me why you didn't eat lamb...and what happened afterwards..."  
  
"Yeah," indigo eyes turned nostalgic and Duo looked like he was mentally going back in time. "It really has been a while, hasn't it?"  
  
"Duo, I'm sorry, I would have gone back, but-"  
  
The American put a slender forefinger across Heero's lips. "I know you're sorry; I'm sorry, too. But we won't get anywhere if we don't move passed it." It was then did Heero notice that Duo was wearing the white shirt he had lent him, his chestnut hair free from its confining braid and cascading down his back. Besides that, though, Duo wasn't wearing much else. "I want to forget right now, love. I want to forget about Treize and Zechs and the Eye. Tasukette kudasai."  
  
"Ryoukai."[1] Heero pressed forward into the other man, aggressively taking Duo's mouth with his own, claiming it as his and his only. Something about that seemed right to Heero - something that made the dull ache in his heart make him feel so much more alive than he had in the last five years. It had been there all this time, but only now, after what had occurred, was Heero able to see it for himself. He broke the kiss for a moment, letting both of them catch their breath. "Duo," he breathed, inhaling the presence of his koi, his Duo. "Ai shiteru."[2]  
  
Duo smiled contentedly, momentarily taken aback by the volume behind Heero's words. "My feelings for you never changed," he whispered. "They just got suppressed and hidden for a little while, but they never changed." Duo's smile turned seductive as he lowered himself onto the cot, pulling Heero down after him and moaning in pleasure as their mouths met again.  
  
*~**~*  
  
Heero woke gradually the next morning at the sound of light bickering outside his tent. He could make out the silhouettes of two Maganacs exaggeratedly pointing at the tent and then at each other. Heero sighed, kissing the top of Duo's head before carefully easing out of his lover's embrace. He saw Duo frown slightly in his sleep, curling into the blankets a little tighter to make up for the lost heat. Heero pulled on the clothing that had been discarded the previous evening, glancing at his watch to check the time. 'A little before seven...what would they want?' Heero pulled open the tent, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed as the two men still argued between each other.   
  
They didn't notice Heero until he cleared his throat. "What is it?"  
  
"Rashiid wanted us to notify you that we found an alternative entrance to the cavern," the heavier of the two, Ahmad, said.  
  
The other, Auda, nodded in agreement. "But since you and Mister Maxwell were still asleep we couldn't decide who would wake you up."  
  
"Didn't want to make you angry, Doctor Yuy," Ahmad amended.  
  
Heero smiled slightly at the two men, the knowledge that another entrance had been discovered making him feel a little better about having to leave Duo sleeping alone. "Show me."  
  
Auda and Ahmad started eagerly off in the direction of a land bridge about a mile down that lead them to the ledge on the opposite side of the canyon. From his viewpoint Heero could make out the OZ tents below. He knew they had to be making less progress. If OZ had its hands on the Eye, the Maganacs on watch would have notified him about it.  
  
"Heero," Quatre met them at the other side, "you won't believe it when you see it... It's more elaborate than all of the pyramids combined!"  
  
There was a five-by-five hole marked off with rope, Trowa throwing rappel lines down while Rashiid made sure they were firmly secured at the top. The ground had to be a good forty feet below, and from Heero's vantage point, he could see that the walls appeared to be plated with sheets of gold, decorated with hieroglyphs and scenes of the gods. The archaeologist could also tell that the same scenes and hieroglyphs were repeating themselves over and over again.  
  
Heero pulled on a pair of gloves, tugging on one of the ropes. "Is this line secure?"  
  
"It should be," aquamarine eyes narrowed questioningly, "why do you ask?"  
  
Heero braced the soles of his boots against the inner rim of the hole, jumping off and bouncing off one of the paneled walls to the ground below. Each time his feet hit the wall, it resounded with an echoing thud that let Heero know that there were either more corridors running parallel to this one or something was hidden behind that particular wall. With his knowledge of ancient Egyptian architecture, Heero knew that if it were another room, it was a trap, so he opted to start down the corridor and see where he would end up. He could hear Quatre shouting at him from above.  
  
"Wouldn't want to get lost down here," came a familiar voice. Heero wasn't surprised that Trowa had followed him down. "Duo wouldn't be happy if you did."  
  
The Japanese man pointed at the walls. "The gold is reflecting the sunlight down here. The light is bright enough to see by but not so bright that it will damage the walls."  
  
"Why wouldn't they want the walls damaged?" Trowa asked, running his fingers over the hieroglyphs as they went along.  
  
"They tell the story of the Eye and where we can find it." Heero pointed at a particular scene. "These corridors all point in the same direction, towards the middle of the cavern, but there are smaller corridors that are set up to confuse your sense of direction and to make you doubt yourself. Just following the same corridor in a straight line should lead you to the Eye of Horus."  
  
"Doesn't that seem too easy?"  
  
"That's what the architects wanted you to think. They wanted you to get yourself lost."  
  
They kept walking further, Heero glancing around to make sure if anything didn't seem right. The pyramids were loaded with traps. He didn't see why this cavern wouldn't be similar. Suddenly the corridor opened up into a large room with a circular pedestal in the middle. Heero looked around, confused. 'This has to be it, so where's the Eye?'  
  
Heero quickly drew out the gun at his side. He could hear footsteps coming down one of the adjacent corridors. Their company stepped into the light, and upon seeing Trowa and Heero drew out their own weapons. Zechs Marquise's eyes widened in disbelief as Treize donned an amused smirk. "Doctor Yuy, Mister Barton, we meet at last."  
  
"You won't get the Eye, Treize. I'll see to that," Heero growled out.  
  
Zechs sneered. "Still need to find it first, Yuy."  
  
A crack of thunder erupted above the pedestal, creating a cloud swirling with electricity. Out of it stepped a figure, and Heero blinked, not believing what he saw. The figure was relatively human, but he had a head that looked more like that of a falcon with a sun disk upon his head.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Heero heard Trowa gasp beside him.  
  
"It's Ra," the archaeologist still didn't believe what he was saying, "the sun god."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] "Help me, please." "Roger/accepted/etc." You know, like "mission accepted" is "ninmu ryoukai". ^_^ It's a Heero-ism. Can't have a Gundam Wing fic without it, even if it is an AU fusion with Indiana Jones.
> 
> [2] "I love you" in case you didn't know. Although this is *rarely* said *at all* because it has such a strong meaning. Normally it's "suki desu" or "dai suki desu" ("I like you" and "I like you best" respectively), so "ai shiteru" is a frigging big deal, especially back around 1940!


	18. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*   
Cairo, Egypt   
*~**~*  
  
"You want the scepter?" boomed the god, looking back and forth between the two sides.  
  
"Why else would we be in this hellish country?" Treize replied, and Heero noticed Ra's head feathers ruffle slightly. Egypt was his domain, after all, and the general had just insulted it.  
  
Ra's eyes narrowed fiercely. "You have no right to discredit what is not your own!" A roar of thunder and lightning cracked outside, sounding louder as it echoed through the cavern, acoustically enhanced.  
  
"Good job, General, piss off the god and see how far that gets you!"  
  
"Mein schönes Haustier[1]," a sinister smile grew on Treize's face, "didn't I tell you I was going to kill you?" General Khushrenada pulled his gun back up to aim it at Duo, but Heero was faster. With the flick of his wrist, the bullwhip was in his hand and the tip snapped in Treize's direction. It hit the older man's wrist, causing him to drop the gun in pain. It went spinning away from the general.  
  
"Go for it and I will kill you," Heero threatened darkly. He caught Zechs move out of the corner of his eye and disarmed the blond man in the same way.  
  
"Doctor Yuy, I don't think you understand," Treize motioned to the other corridors that spiraled up and away from the main room. "We have you largely outnumbered, so any motion on _your_ behalf, and I assure you, someone will kill you. I doubt you can dodge _that_ many bullets." OZ soldiers began stepping out to be seen in the arches, guns trained on Heero, Duo, and Trowa below. "We will walk away with the Eye. You, on the other hand, will be fortunate if you live that long."  
  
Ra looked about, unperturbed by all the soldiers surrounding him. He looked between Treize and Heero. "You both want to claim the Eye of Horus?"  
  
Treize nodded, "Please, mighty Ra, those people will only use the scepter for their own evil ways. It will be safer with myself, making sure no one will ever use it for their own devices."  
  
The sun god let out a bark of a laugh. "You insult the nation of Egypt and now you expect me to believe your reverence? Do you think I'm an incompetent idiot?"  
  
"Apparently so," Zechs commented, getting a lethal glare from the OZ general.  
  
Ra looked towards Heero. "I suppose your story is the same?"  
  
"The Eye should be locked away from the greed of mankind."  
  
"Only one way to settle this, then," Ra scratched his beak thoughtfully. "A test seems to be the only solution."  
  
"What sort of test?" Worry was evident all over Duo's features.  
  
"A challenge, a duel, whatever you prefer to call it. Not a physical one, of course, because the stronger man in form isn't always the better man in being." The god turned his head, focusing on each of the two groups. "Any volunteers?"  
  
Heero stepped forward. "I'll go."  
  
"As will I," Treize followed suit. "Zechs, your duties are no longer needed. You may leave. You'll get your pay as soon as I get the Eye." Before Doctor Marquise could protest, OZ soldiers had a grip on his arms and were leading the blond man away from the room to the outside.  
  
Heero turned to his friend and his lover. "The two of you should leave, as well. I don't want you to get hurt if anything should happen to me."  
  
"Heero!" Duo clung to him frantically. "I know you need to do this, but be careful, okay?" The fear hidden deep in the longhaired man's eyes struck Heero. He had never actually seen how much he meant to Duo. "I love you, okay? So don't do anything brash or else..."  
  
"Or else what?"  
  
Duo forced himself to smile. "I...I haven't come up with that part yet, but believe me, Yuy, it's won't be pre-"  
  
Heero forced the other man silent, pressing his mouth against Duo's in a silent vow. When they pulled apart, Heero could see that Duo's eyes were glistening his unshed tears. He kissed each of the indigo orbs. "I'll be fine. Now go."  
  
The American nodded slowly, kissing Heero's knuckles before allowing Trowa to bring him back outside.  
  
"Well," Treize smirked, "I knew the two of you were close, but just _how_ close I wasn't fully aware."  
  
"If for nothing else," Heero snapped, "I'll kill you for what you did to him."  
  
"We'll do this one at a time," Ra said, bringing his arms up over his head. The ceiling opened up overhead, revealing a swirling thunderhead that expanded to fill the space until it surrounded the trio, lightening dancing in the shadows. The god began to chant in Egyptian, Heero not understanding what he was saying but preparing himself for anything. The cloud soon enveloped everything, leaving Heero so he couldn't see Ra or General Khushrenada, just the space within three feet of him. A figure soon emerged from the storm.  
  
"Duo, I told you to go outside with Trowa!"  
  
The longhaired man's expression looked melancholy. "Would you ever lie to me, Heero?"  
  
"No, what would I have to gain from it?"  
  
Duo shrugged. "You lied to me before, though. You told me you'd return." Lightning flashed, jumping across the space and passing his shoulder.  
  
"Those were circumstances beyond my control."  
  
"Would you change it if you could?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Duo placed his forefinger to his lower lip thoughtfully. "You know the Eye of Horus gives you the power to change that, right? Would you change what happened knowing now that you can?"  
  
Heero shook his head. "What's done is done. You wouldn't learn anything if you could just erase your mistakes."  
  
"But with the Eye," Duo continued, "you could do _far_ more than erase your mistakes. Your imagination is the limit. You could control, kill, and take over. With the scepter alone you could destroy General Khushrenada and Doctor Marquise. You could make OZ yours; you could make me yours. You could live eternally."  
  
"I'm perfectly happy without any of those things. Duo..." Heero stepped closer to the other man. "I couldn't own you. You need your freedom. I shouldn't have to supernaturally force you to be with me. You should want to of your own free will."  
  
"Are you telling the truth?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
Blue-violet eyes narrowed skeptically. "Why wouldn't you want to control the entire world?"  
  
"Because I'm not a power-hungry megalomaniac like Treize! Duo, what's going on? You know me better than this..."  
  
"I'm just making certain whether or not I feel you should bother trying for the scepter." Duo shrugged. "It is the fate of the world, after all. Wouldn't want it placed in the wrong hands."  
  
Heero's eyes narrowed. He couldn't figure out why Duo was so concerned about this. If the Eye of Horus were to be recovered, Heero would have it locked up just like the Ark. He thought it was just a myth at first, but that had all changed with his face-to-face encounter with Ra himself, and earlier with Duo's accounts of the enchanted scarab. "May I go on with my test now?"  
  
Duo smiled, nodding slowly. "Only if you feel you have already won." Without another word, the longhaired American disappeared back into the storm, leaving Heero to stand by himself. The clouds seemed to be getting thinner, evaporating into the air with the last stray bursts of lightning. He was able to see the rest of the room again. The ceiling had closed up, and Ra was gone. The OZ soldiers were looking around in confusion, and Treize just stood where he last had been, looking around in anticipation as to what was going to happen next.  
  
All around them the walls began to fall. Heero swore under his breath. The cavern was crumbling and he'd be trapped if he didn't find a way out quickly. The soldiers began to panic, some running back the way they came while others were disoriented and ran through the archway over the pedestal, falling to their deaths.  
  
Heero forced himself to run, ignoring the pain flaring through his side as he dodged boulders and shards of gold. He could only hope that the others had left the ropes down and were waiting for him. A large crack was opening up in the ground seven yards ahead, causing Heero to curse once again. He grabbed the whip at his side, looking for a steady hold to snap it against, but nothing was there. He looked around as he ran, hoping a hold would reveal itself before it was too late. About eight feet up, a larger boulder was starting to come out of the wall, and Heero got an idea. He picked up his pace before it fell, snapping the whip at the boulder. He felt it wrap around and hold seconds before he jumped, swinging across the crevice. He released the whip, quickly wrapping it as the boulder fell down into the expanding crack. Heero could see sunlight streaming in ahead. He was almost there.  
  
"Doctor Yuy!" At the panicked call, Heero turned around to see Treize Khushrenada standing on the other side of the gorge. "You're not going to leave me to die here, are you?"  
  
Heero's eyes turned cold, voice just as cruel. "I told you that if for nothing else, I'd have you die for what you did to Duo. Killing you indirectly seems just enough for me." He kept on running, blocking out the primal scream of agony and terror that echoed after him.  
  
He rounded another corner, seeing the exit, but where was the line? "Damn it!" Heero shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Now's is _not_ a good time for games!" He saw a silhouette tossing the rope down, and he grabbed it the second it was within reach. Heero pulled himself up the rope as quickly as possible. Smaller stones from the mouth of the entrance were beginning to crumble off, some getting larger as they tried to knock Heero back into the cavern to die with it.  
  
Three feet away from the surface, a rock jarred loose, striking Heero's left hand as he reached up with his right. From the pain, his hand reflexively let go of the rope, and Heero felt himself beginning to fall back to the bottom of the cave. His body jolted. Something was keeping him from falling. Looking up, Heero saw Duo smiling down at him, hand gripped tightly around the archaeologist's forearm. Heero grasped Duo's arm similarly and allowed himself to be pulled up.  
  
As soon as his feet touched the ground, they hurried up and ran to the land bridge, across to the other side of the canyon. The ground shook, and from the other side, Heero and Duo watched the half of the canyon with the cavern collapse into dust, billowing and settling in the breezeless air. The land bridge still stuck out, reaching into midair.  
  
Heero felt his love pull him into an enthusiastic hug. "Heero, you're all right! What happened?"  
  
He understood all of a sudden. That wasn't really Duo he had been talking to in the storm. That was his test, and based on Treize's fate, he had passed and the general hadn't. "We won." Heero grabbed Duo's hands in his own. "It's all over, and Treize is dead." He saw Trowa and Quatre approaching, and the Maganacs were all watching, waiting for a sign of what had happened. Heero smiled. "The Eye of Horus is no longer anything we should worry about. It has been destroyed, and we can go home."  
  
"But what happened?" Quatre asked. He hadn't gone down in the cave. Only those that had been there saw Ra, and only Heero and Treize fully understood the god's power and wisdom. Ra had wanted honest answers about what the victor would do with the Eye, so he manifested a form of the person closest to the the test taker. Heero had thought he was talking to Duo, and Ra preferred the scepter to be kept away from mankind for all of eternity to whatever General Khushrenada had confessed he'd use it for.  
  
"I'll tell you later," Heero replied, squeezing Duo's hand. "Right now, though, let's get out of here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] "My beautiful pet" according to FreeTranslation.com, not me. ^_^


	19. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Vinyl Koneko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

*~**~*  
New York, USA  
*~**~*  
  
Duo peeked in through the glass window of the classroom door and carefully crept inside, not wanting to be noticed by the professor or his students. Heero was rapidly sketching something on the chalkboard as every student - the majority of which that was female, Duo noted with a wry smirk - jotted down everything Heero said or wrote.  
  
"So," the Japanese-American was beginning to wrap up his lecture, "after seeing all the evidence for and against the case, do you believe that Helen of Troy actually existed?"  
  
A girl with long blonde hair and forked eyebrows raised her hand. "She must have existed. Men don't run around making up excuses for war; they take ones that have been handed to them. The Greeks and the Trojans already were at each others' throats, so what better excuse than a woman to actually start the fighting?"  
  
A girl with dark hair and crystal blue eyes shook her head. "Doubted, Dorothy. Helen of Troy didn't exist in the way that Homer told us she did. These stories got passed on orally for generations."  
  
"Well, what do _you_ think, then, Hilde?" Dorothy arched an eyebrow questioningly.  
  
"I think that Helen of Troy was really a man. Menelaus had enough problems with the Trojans and his controversial wife, so what did he do? Allowed Helen to leave with Paris and start up a war."  
  
"It's _not_ a matter of war or gender," another blonde girl in the front row interrupted, speaking in a honey-sweet voice. "It's a matter of _true_ love. Do you believe in true love, _Doctor_ Yuy?"  
  
To say that Duo wasn't waiting with baited breath for Heero's answer would have been a lie. The bell rang, but the room was still silent. "Yes, Relena," came the careful reply, "I do. Next class there's a brief essay due on today's lecture. And I said _brief_. You're dismissed."  
  
The students piled out of the lecture hall and Duo knew well enough to stay out of their way. He cleared his throat lightly, moving to stand directly behind Heero who was erasing what he'd written on the board. In a falsetto of Relena's voice, Duo purred, "You know who I think _my_ true love is, _Doctor_ Yuy?"  
  
Duo noticed his lover stiffen slightly as he finished with the board and slowly began to turn around. "Relena quite frankly I- Duo!"  
  
The longhaired American adorned his most innocent smile. "What's up?"  
  
"Do that again and I'll stick a sock down your throat."  
  
Duo pouted playfully. "Only a sock?" He smiled broadly at the blush that spread across Heero's features. "You're too attractive for your own good sometimes, love."  
  
"Let's talk a walk," Heero suggested, grabbing his coat from his office before they head outside. It was a cooler autumn day. Several months had passed since the Eye of Horus incident, and Duo had decided to stay with Heero in New York. "How was it?"  
  
"How was what?"  
  
"The interview."  
  
"Oh. It went...well." Duo felt like he was being choked, so he loosened the tie around his neck.  
  
"Only 'well'?"  
  
Duo shrugged. "They seemed a little uncomfortable with the fact that I didn't have a doctorate, but they seemed to think that your expert opinion was enough."  
  
Heero paused. "So you got the job?" Duo nodded mutely. The other man smiled. "That's great."  
  
"You'll have to put up with me in the same department," Duo punctuated every word by poking Heero's chest with his finger. "Every time I forget something I'm going to be borrowing it from you." Duo grinned seductively. "And then we can make love in the lecture halls."  
  
Heero cleared his throat. "If you want to get fired."  
  
Duo sighed. "Or we'll just wait until we get home." He stretched his arms out, resting his hands on the back of his head. "What if I'm not good at it? Teaching, I mean."  
  
"You just talk and hope they're listening. You're good at that. Ow!" Heero rubbed the spot on his arm where Duo had punched him. "If I can do it, you'll be fine."  
  
"Something else..." Duo thought for a moment. "Oh yeah! Quatre called. He and Trowa got back yesterday from their extended vacation. Said he has so much paperwork on his desk that he doesn't know where to start."  
  
"As long as none of it gets me sent to the other side of the planet any time soon, I don't particularly care." Heero grabbed Duo by the hips, pulling him closer and grinning when the longhaired man let out a surprised yelp. "How long were you watching?"  
  
"Just the last ten minutes or so. Long enough to spark my curiosity."  
  
"About what?"  
  
Duo rested his head on Heero's shoulder. "Your theory on true love," he whispered.  
  
"I don't have a theory, per se. It just happens. And whoever it is, fate will keep you together, no matter what. You just have to be able to recognize it when you see it." Heero pulled Duo's mouth to his, tempting his lips apart for their tongues to meet. Duo sighed, letting himself feel the moment, the sharp contrast between the cool air and Heero's hot mouth.  
  
"Do you have another class today?" Duo asked, fiddling with the buttons on Heero's shirt under his coat.  
  
Heero shook his head. "I have the rest of the day available." He pretended to consider his options. "Although I have to review lesson plans, grade papers, and write up tests."  
  
"Ha ha ha. Very funny, Heero." Duo counted off on his fingers. "First of all, knowing you, you don't need to do _any_ of that because you either already know or finished a week ago, at least, and second of all," Duo flashed his most charming grin, "this is me we're talking about. I think that alone outweighs all other options."  
  
"Of course," Heero deadpanned. "Work before play. What was I thinking?" He smirked at the strange expression he was getting from his lover. "What sort of plans, exactly, did you have in mind?"  
  
Duo grabbed Heero by both hands, pulling him off in the direction of their apartment while talking excitedly about everything they could do that evening.  
  
*~**~*  
  
Owari

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duo: *waves* Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!  
> Heero: *takes off the fedora* I can finally take these damn clothes off...  
> Duo: Hey, what are you doing? Keep the whip. *waggles eyebrows*


End file.
